How the World Changes
by TheFreckledKangaroo
Summary: Almost three years after the Battle of Hogwarts and the fall of Voldemort the Wizarding World is finally at peace. Witches, Wizards and Muggles alike can finally live in happiness without fear of death or destruction lurking around the corner; then something happens, turning the world onto its head. Can the peace be restored before the world is ruled by evil? Dramione. FINISHED.
1. Prologue

How the World Changes

Prologue

The final blast shot from his wand, knocking his opponent into the blazing fire; they were gone before their attacker could even blink. Dropping his wand, he rushed to the side of a young women who lay in a mangled heap on the floor; blood pooling around her small frame to the point where the young man feared the girl was dead. He fell to his knees by her side, taking her gently in his arms, his heart pounding loudly in his ears as she gave no sign of life. The man carefully brushed her blood soaked hair from her face; placing his fingers firmly on her neck, desperately searching for any sign of a pulse.

Another young man ran up the stairs, hoping that he wasn't too late, and that he had held the attackers off long enough that his friend could get to the young woman. Running into the room, he paused at the scene that lay before him; his distraught friend still frenzied in trying to find any sign of life in the young woman. He ran his fingers roughly through his hair, straightening his glasses as he strode to the pair crouched on the ground.

"Anything?" he asked, his voice taunt and small.

"No," his friend replied, his voice flooded with pain and desperation. "It's as if she's de-"

He paused mid-sentence his eyes wide and attentive as he held his fingers close to the young woman's throat once again.

"It's there," he whispered, the hand on the girl's throat steady, the other shaking. "I felt it. She still has a pulse; it's faint, but it's there. We have to get her to the hospital," he said to his companion, lifting the girl gently into his arms as he stood; her blood quickly staining the front of his shirt until it was no longer in its original color.

"Use the floo," the bespectacled boy advised. "It's not as quick, but if you disapparate, you run the risk of splinching her."

The young man nodded, watching fearfully as the fire roared to life; the shadow of the flames casting eerie shadows on the room and its occupants. He took a breath and walked to the fire, turning slightly towards the other boy.

"I promised."

"I know," the man responded, his eyes glistening.


	2. Ministry Mayhem

AN:/ Hey everyone! So I've always loved writing fan fiction, but I've never published it or really let anyone else read it so this is a first for me! I would love any input that you have, reviews, suggestions, helpful hints, anything! Thanks so much for reading; you guys are amazing.

-TheFreckledKangaroo

Ministry Mayhem

Hermione strode purposefully across the atrium at the Ministry of Magic, her heels clicking neatly against the smooth-cut stone floor, the parchments in her arms condensed neatly into a manilla file folder, and her hair bouncing lightly against her shoulders. She waited patiently outside of the lift doors, entering when they slid open; inputting the code for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and feeling the lift slide into action. Once the doors slid open once again, her heels resumed their aforementioned stride, walking quickly down the wooden floors towards the Auror quarters. After arriving and giving her name to the secretary, she entered the Auror department office and headed directly for the back right corner. Standing confidently in front of the fashioned oak door, she knocked smartly on the wooden panels; a small smile playing on her lips and she heard movement from the inside of the office. Her smile widened slightly as the door opened and Harry Potter smiled back at her as he ran his fingers through his raven black hair, adjusting his circular glasses to the center of his nose.

"Good Morning Hermione!" he greeted her, gesturing for her to come into his office.

Her eyes twinkled as she took his offer and entered his large office space. She wiped a few chocolate frog crumbs from the soft crimson chair before tucking her skirt underneath her and taking a seat.

"Sorry about the crumbs," Harry said sheepishly. "I had a family in here this morning and the only way the kid would calm down was if I gave him chocolate frogs. I totally forgot to clean the chair off; I hope it didn't get your skirt all spattered. Speaking of," he said with curiosity. "Why the heels? You never wear them."

"Don't worry about the chocolate Harry," Hermione reassured. "And I have a meeting with the Head of the Department of Magical Restrictions and Regulations in half an hour."

"I will be sure not to keep you longer than necessary then," Harry smiled, taking a seat behind his desk, which was already littered with papers from earlier in the morning. "So what have you got for me?"

Hermione gave him a small smile, while handing him the large manila file. "Harry, you're working too hard. You already have six other files on your desk and it's only eight o'clock in the morning."

"Hermione," Harry sighed as he picked up her file and took out the pieces of parchment. "I appreciate your concern, but… "

"I know Harry," Hermione reassured, placing her folded hands on her crossed knees. "I just worry for you."

"Thanks Hermione," Harry smiled, scanning through the parchments that Hermione had brought with her. "So what did you find?"

"The time turner that you're trying to find isn't one that's been registered through the Ministry. I checked the name-because as you know, all magical devices have a name and make- but nothing came up in the Ministry file with the name, so then I searched for the name and make, which also led to no results. There's absolutely no time turner on file with that name and make registered through the London Ministry," Hermione said in a business-like tone.

"Alright," Harry said with a sigh, rubbing tiredly at his eyes. "So we know it hasn't been registered here. Anything else?"

"After I searched long and hard and came up with nothing for our Ministry, I decided to try the other major Ministries in the world," Hermione nodded, tucking a stray curl behind her ear. "So I checked the other major ones with no avail. Nothing came up, some countries didn't even have time tuners registered."

"This doesn't sound very encouraging," Harry sighed again, absentmindedly twirling a quill between his fingers.

"That's because I wasn't finished," Hermione grinned mischievously, an excited glint in her eyes. "I decided on a whim to check the smaller Ministries. And I found a small Ministry in Russia. Pavlovo to be exact.

"In the Nizhny Novgorod Oblast Region," Harry said suddenly, hurriedly opening a drawer and flipping through stacks and stacks of parchment. "We had another case from there a few months ago. A non-resident tried to authorize some out of state artifacts, but it was a no-go. The Ministries around the world aren't registering items at the moment. They're confiscating them and locking them away. Especially time turners. The Ministry Council wants to lock those away for good."

"What was the man's name?" Hermione asked quickly, her mind racing.

"Let's see, it was Normank Ritchker. He's from Luxembourg, but the Ministry wouldn't let him register his items here, so I guess he tried Russia," Harry replied, looking up at her.

"I recognize that name," Hermione said suddenly, snapping her fingers. "He came in one time to talk to my boss, thanking him for his help with something. He said something about going to Russia to meet his brother… what was his name?" Hermione thought hard, a pensive look on her face. "I got it!" She finally said. "His 'brother's' name was Knamron Rekhctir. He claimed that they were twins, separated at birth when their parents split. He also claimed his brother was raised in Russia," she finished.

"So it was his brother in Russia that has the time turner," Harry said reaching for an inkwell.

"Nope," Hermione chimed. "It's him."

"What?" Harry questioned, his hand paused on the way to the inkwell, the quill still posed in his fingers.

"Knamron Rekhctir is Normank Ritchker spelled backwards," Hermione said. "He thought he could pass

it off as Russian, because it looks sort of weird spelled backwards. I just connected the dots now. He thought if he went under a different name, a supposed Russian name, the Russian Ministry would let him register the stolen time turner."

"You're brilliant Hermione!" Harry exclaimed, quickly scribbling everything down on a spare piece of parchment. "I can't believe I didn't see that!"

"Always the tone of surprise," Hermione laughed. "And don't worry that you didn't see it. I didn't either the first time. Also, that's what my job is. To do stuff like this."

"Whether it is your job or not," Harry said with a huge grin. "I owe you one. A big one. You helped me with this and it's something my boss has been constantly breathing down my neck about. So thank you."

"It was my pleasure," Hermione smiled. "However I don't think I'll need your offer."

"You may someday," Harry said with a laugh. "It'll still be out there with all the other ones I've given you since well, forever."  
Hermione laughed and shook her head, glancing down at her watch. "Great Godric I'm going to be late!" she exclaimed, jumping up from her chair. "I'm so sorry Harry, but I really have to go."

"Don't apologize to me, I'm the one who kept you so late," Harry called after her as she rushed from the room, as quickly as one could while wearing heels.

` Hermione rushed down the hall, fixing her hair while she waited for the lift to arrive. The sleek metal doors slid open and she rushed in, typing in the code for the conference rooms at the top floor. She tapped her foot impatiently against the marble floor of the lift as it slowly rose to the floor she needed. At the ding, the doors opened and she resumed her confident stride down the hall. Arriving at the large conference room at the end of the hall, she knocked politely and entered at the given permission. Entering the room, her confidence took a slight dip as she surveyed the other members already seated at the table. Neville, Sean, the Heads of the departments of Magical Law Enforcement, Restrictions and Regulations, and International Business and Banking, along with Ron, Kingsley was also seated around the large table. Straightening her robes, she pulled out the empty chair next to Ron, and took a seat.

"Miss Granger. How nice of you to finally grace us with your presence," a sarcastic voice from the head of the table stated.

Hermione looked over and was startled to find Cayson Whittle, head of the International Business and Banking department, staring her down. She quietly cleared her throat before speaking.

"I am so sorry Mr. Whittle. I was kept longer than I had intended at an earlier appointment," she apologized. "It won't happen again."

"Oh I can assure that Miss Granger," he replied hotly.

"If you're done talking about something that in no way pertains to why we are here Mr. Whittle," the dry voice of Mr. Coen Dawson interrupted from the other end of the table. "We would like to actually continue the meeting so we can get out of here at a reasonable hour."

Mr. Whittle sneered, but remained quiet as the meeting commenced. Once Hermione was absolutely sure that the meeting was in full swing, she slowly leaned over to Ron, tapping him lightly on the shoulder.

"What did I miss?" She whispered, keeping her eyes trained on the speaker.

"Nothing much," Ron replied, keeping his eyes on the notes he was scribbling. "Just Whittle and Dawson fighting for a while. Then just a quick reminder of why we're actually here."

"Really?" Hermione asked, a surprised tone lacing through her words. "That's really all I missed?"

"Like I said, you didn't miss much," Ron continued, looking up to train his eyes on whomever was addressing them. "You were only one and a half minutes late."

"That's practically two whole minutes Ronald," Hermione whispered. "That's plenty of time for something to happen."

"Not when Dawson and Whittle are in charge," Ron said, a small smile playing across his lips.

Hermione refrained herself from rolling her eyes, readjusting her position in her chair. She took a small breath, and braced herself for the long meeting ahead of her.

"Mr. Whittle, why did you need all of us here?" Mr. Dawson asked drily. "You should have enough people in your own department to figure this out on your own."

"It doesn't just concern my department you old coot," Mr. Whittle sneered. "This is something that concerns all of the departments present here."

"A few missing Galleons isn't something that should concern the MLE department or any of the other departments in the whole Ministry," Mr. Dawson said with a roll of his eyes. "Missing Galleons are something that is part of your department and your department only. I believe we're done here," he finished, rising from his seat.

"Sit down Dawson," Mr. Whittle hissed. "We have reason to believe that the person who interrupted our bank statements was someone who is on your wanted list."

"Mr. Whittle the only people left on our wanted list at this time are Death Eaters," Mr. Dawson stated with his teeth slightly clenched. "Those Death Eaters haven't been seen since the end of the Second Wizarding War."

"Which is why it makes sense for them to need monetary compensation!" Mr. Whittle exclaimed. "They have been on the run for three years! Don't you think they would need food, money, or something else that money can buy?"

"Dawson, whoever it is only stole five Galleons. Five Whittle. That's hardly a reason to get the MLE involved," Mr. Dawson sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Besides, Death Eaters know how to live on the run. They don't need monetary compensation."

"Say whatever you want Dawson. This is something that is going to affect your department sooner or later," Mr. Whittle said, standing and exiting the room.

"We're done here," Mr. Whittle sighed, picking up the large file in front of him as he stood from his seat. "I don't want to hear anything else about this phony case. End of story." He paused and looked around the conference room before continuing. "What are you all doing still sitting here? Get back to work and solve the real cases."

After Mr. Whittle had finished his little spill, everyone still present scrambled for their parchments and quills, getting up and exiting the room one by one.

"Well that was a waste of my morning," Ron sighed, stacking his parchments into a messy pile. "I could have been working on literally anything else on my desk and it would have been more important than this meeting."

"No meeting is unimportant Ron," Hermione chided, picking up his quill and handing it to him. "Every meeting has some importance, no matter how little."

"Sure 'Mione," Ron said, rolling his eyes. "Every meeting is important, and I love spiders."

"Yeesh," Harry said, entering the room, a cup of coffee in his hands. "That was the absolute worst analogy that I have ever heard."

"Harry Potter!" Hermione exclaimed, jumping in her seat. "You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"Seriously mate," Ron agreed, putting his stack of parchments back down. "You gotta start introducing yourself when you enter a room or something. Also, what are you doing drinking coffee? That stuff is the nastiest bloody drink in the world."

"Apologies," Harry said, holding up his free hand in defense. "I'll try and remember to knock or something in the future. And in response to your question Ron," he added, looking pointedly at him over the top of his coffee cup. "Coffee is the most disgusting drink in the world. However, it seems to wake me up enough to do my work, so…"

"Gross Harry," Ron said, his face wrinkled in disgust. "Put that away. It's stinkin' up the conference room."

"You guys are leaving anyways," Harry said, waving his hand dismissively, and setting his cup down on the table. "So it really doesn't matter what the room smells like."

"What are you doing here then?" Hermione questioned, picking up his cup and dumping its contents into the trash, oblivious to his protests.

"The Auror's have a meeting," Harry answered, staring dejectedly at his empty cup.

"Why weren't you here for the other meeting Harry?" Ron asked. "Aren't Aurors part of the MLE department?"

"Yeah," Harry replied, taking a seat in one of the cushioned office chairs. "And I got out of it so I could have that meeting with the family I told you about Hermione. I didn't know how long it would go for, so I asked Neville if he would go as the representative."

Hermione shot him a disapproving stare, but said nothing. Ron however sighed again, picking up his parchments and walking towards the door.

"Harry, don't kill yourself alright?" he said on his way out. "I have enough to do already."

Harry returned his best friend's sigh, twirling in his chair as he stared at the ceiling. "I promise Ron. I'm fine. Except for the fact that Hermione threw my coffee in the wastebin," he added, giving her a pointed look.

"Harry, I'm not sorry about your coffee," Hermione answered.

"I know," he smiled. "Just thought I'd try it."

Ron walked back over, putting a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Mate, I would love to stay and talk, but I gotta go, and I have a feeling Hermione does too."

Both Harry and Hermione nodded in agreement to Ron's statement. Ron and Hermione bid Harry farewell and headed back to the lift, talking pleasantly as they went. Reaching the lift doors, they entered and Ron was just punching in the numbers for the MLE floor, when another person entered the lift. Ron's brow furrowed in disgust, and Hermione looked on as if she had never seen the person in her life. Ron's finger paused over the last number, refusing to enter it and shut the lift doors.

"Don't let me halt your work with my presence," Malfoy said in a calm voice, not looking at either of them.

"You're not doing anything to hinder my work Malfoy," Ron hissed. "I just don't want to ride in the lift with you."

"Well then I guess you will just have to get off and wait for the next one," Malfoy retorted, keeping his eyes trained straight ahead of him. "Because I have somewhere important to be, and so I really must impress upon you the need to put in the elevator code."

Ron clenched his jaw, but typed in the code without meeting Malfoy's eyes. The odd trio spent the entirety of the lift ride in silence; Ron and Hermione standing on one side, and Malfoy on the other. The lift gave a soft ding when it reached the intended level, and Ron and Hermione exited without a backwards glance at Malfoy. They strode quickly down the hallway in silence, neither of them wanting to say anything. They reached Ron's office eventually and Hermione heard him whisper, "Bloody Malfoy" as he entered his office and shut the door behind them.

"Ron, don't let him get to you," Hermione warned.

"He's not getting to me," Ron protested.

"He's trying to get a rise out of you Ron," Hermione sighed. "That's what he does. Anyways, I really do have to get going. Pamela is going to be in my office any minute."

"Who's Pamela?" Ron asked.

"The intern that the Ministry sent to the Research and Information section. Kyan assigned her to me, and she comes every day around ten o'clock," Hermione answered easily.

"I won't keep you then," Ron sighed, dipping his quill into an inkwell and starting to write. "Have fun with the intern."

Hermione shook her head and gave him a small smile as she left his office. She walked down a few more halls and turned around three corners before she reached her office. She opened the mahogany door and was surprised to find the office empty. It was exactly ten o' five. Pamela should have been there already. She sighed and sat down heavily in her navy blue office chair, taking off her heels and throwing them under her desk. She was completely done with those heels for the day; she absolutely hated them. She sighed again, and pulled out a big black file from inside one of the desk drawers, dropping it heavily down onto her desk. Pulling out her quill, she dipped it quickly in some ink and started making quick notes along the sides of the parchment. Pausing when she heard a knock on her door, she looked up and was shocked to see Pamela enter the room, a sheepish look on her face.

"Pamela!" Hermione exclaimed. "Are you alright?"

"Yes," Pamela said nervously. "Listen Miss Granger, I'm really really sorry for not being here at ten, but I had a family issue…"

"Oh Pamela, don't worry about it," Hermione reassured. "Is your family alright?"

"I hope so," Pamela answered quietly.

"You know what Pamela? Why don't you take the day off. I don't have that much for you to do today anyways. Go home and care for your family," Hermione said, looking at the younger girl fondly.

"Really?" Pamela asked, her face shining with relief. "Oh Merlin…"

"Go Pamela," Hermione reassured as the girl rushed out of her office.

Hermione stood looking at the closed door for a few moments after Pamela had left, wondering about her young intern. She shook her head, and stared back down at her parchments, continuing to make notes. She continued doing this for a good couple of hours, but once again, she was jerked from her work; though this time not as kindly.

"Granger," Malfoy said, coming in through her office door.

"What can I do for you Mr. Malfoy?" Hermione asked, a small smile painted on her face.

"Cut it Granger," Malfoy sighed, rolling his eyes. "Do you have those files for me?"

"What files?" Hermione asked with fake innocence. "I'm not sure I know what you're talking about."

"You know exactly what I'm talking about," Malfoy demanded. "The files I gave you last week. I need them back. Now."

"Oh those files," Hermione laughed. "I don't have them."

"Sweet Salazar," Draco said, running his hands through his hair. "What did you do with them? You were supposed to give them back to me today at the latest."

"I didn't lose them Malfoy," Hermione reassured. "I sent them down to Study and Surveillance, and they haven't given them back yet."

"You sent them down to SS?" Malfoy asked slowly, his eyes flashing.

"Yes Malfoy I did," Hermione said simply. "It needed a double check so I sent it down there. They will be back by the end of tomorrow hopefully. Then you can have them back."

"Leave it to you to mess everything up," Malfoy hissed.

"I didn't mess anything up," Hermione smiled. "You'll have your precious files again soon Malfoy."

He said nothing back, just looked at her, his eyes flashing, before leaving her office in a huff. She rolled her eyes at his retreating form before closing the file, grabbing her heels from under her desk, and heading back over to Ron's office. She rapped smartly on the door and waited for Ron to answer. When he didn't, she turned the handle and entered the office, only to find it empty. She looked for a note, but finding none, she left, shutting the door behind her. She had started back down the hall, when she heard her name being called.

"Hermione! Hermione wait!"

Hermione turned and was shocked to find none other than Luna Lovegood walking quickly down the hall to meet her.

"Luna what are you doing?" Hermione asked, slowing her walk to allow Luna to catch up.

"I have those results for you," Luna answered in her airy voice. When she looked into Hermione's face and saw that she was confused, she continued. "From the papers you dropped off last week? From Draco Malfoy's office?"

"Oh!" Hermione exclaimed. "Right. I uh, didn't know that you worked down in the research department."

"I don't get out much," Luna admitted, handing her the file. "I'm in the back most of the time, so no one really sees me. Anyways, have a wonderful rest of the day!" she finished as she walked back down the hall, a childish skip in her step.

Hermione watched her leave, an iceberg of dread lodging itself in the pit of her stomach. She had Malfoy's papers and Pamela wasn't there, so that meant that she had to deliver them herself. She took a deep breath and turned back around, heading straight for the lift. Her nervous foot tapping resumed as she waited for the lift to take her up to the Department of International Magical Cooperation, where she figured she would find Malfoy. Hearing the ding of the lift, she mentally braced herself and stepped out, heading directly over to Malfoy's semi-temporary office. She didn't hesitate when she reached his office, just knocked politely on the door. She wasn't surprised when the door didn't open, so she knocked again. The second time, the door opened and she was faced with not with Malfoy, but with Fynn McIntyre, head of the department. Her eyes widened slightly at seeing him, but at his angry glare, she found her voice again.

"Mr. McIntyre, I have some files for Mr. Malfoy," she said simply.

"Thank you Miss Granger, you're no longer needed," he replied sharply, grabbing the file from her hands

and shutting the door promptly in her face.

She stayed outside the door for a few moments before walking away, contemplating on what she had just seen. She had gone to Malfoy's office to give him papers, but instead of Malfoy answering the door, she'd been faced with his head of department. He'd been there alright, she'd seen over Mr. McIntyre's shoulder. He'd been at his desk, staring angrily at the open door. And he hadn't been alone. Sure McIntyre had been in there, but so had Kingsley Shacklebolt. That's what really puzzled her. Why would Malfoy have both his head of department and the Minister of Magic in his office? She was still puzzling over this when she arrived back down at her office, with no conclusion. Hermione entered her office and grabbed her bag, gently putting in some files of parchment before exiting again. She re-entered her puzzling thoughts about what she'd seen in Malfoy's office and didn't even notice when she ran straight into the very center of her thoughts.

"Watch where you're going Granger," Malfoy said tersely. "Some people actually have work to do around here in case you didn't notice."

Hermione didn't answer, just watched as he walked away from her down the hall towards his office without another word.


	3. Draco's Denotation

Draco's Denotation

Hermione sat in her flat that night, eating dinner with Ginny and talking about the events of the day. She'd already discussed the strange things that had happened to her, and she was now listening to Ginny talk about her practice with the Harpies; as it were she was having quite the hard time paying attention. Quidditch really wasn't her thing.

"Hermione?" Ginny asked, snapping her out of her thoughts. "Did you hear a single thing I said?"

"No," Hermione admitted, pushing her leftover carrots around on her plate. "I'm sorry Ginny."

"It's alright," Ginny laughed. "Almost everyone besides Ron and Harry lose focus when I'm talking about Quidditch. It's just a thing," she said dismissively waving her hand through the air. "Don't worry about it."

"I am sorry though Ginny," Hermione pushed. "It was really rude of me to not listen to you. I mean here we are, having dinner, and I'm not even listening to you."

"Hermione," Ginny interrupted, holding up her hands. "It's not a big deal."

Hermione nodded slightly, and continued to push her carrots around her plate absentmindedly.

"Hermione," Ginny asked slowly. "What's on your mind?"

"Nothing really," Hermione answered. "I just still can't come up with any reasonable explanation for what I saw in Malfoy's office."

"Hermione, leave it alone," Ginny advised. "It's probably nothing big. Kingsley meets with people all the time. He comes into the Daily Prophet occasionally and it's never for anything big. It's just checking up."

"But that doesn't explain why he had his head of department in there at the same time as the Minister," Hermione replied. "That's a lot of power in one place at once."

"Hermione, just take my advice and forget about it," Ginny said, sipping at her wine. "If it's something that you're supposed to know about, you'll hear about it soon enough."

"Fair enough," Hermione nodded, rising from her seat to clear the plates away from the table. "How are things with you and Harry going?" she asked her friend conversationally.

"Fine I suppose," Ginny replied with a hint of frustration. "He's been really… focused on work lately, and he stays at the office way past when he should. And when he's not in the office, he's pouring over papers at home. I know that he really cares about his job, and I'm glad that he's so… invested in his work, but he's hardly around anymore."

"Ginny," Hermione said, coming back to the table and gently taking her friend's hand in hers. "It's okay to feel frustrated about it."

"It's not necessarily that I'm frustrated," Ginny said, her brows furrowing. "I'm feeling more selfish than anything else. I mean, I know he can't always be with me, but…."

"It'd feel nice if he spent a little more time with you," Hermione finished for her.

Ginny nodded, looking guilty as she did so. She sighed and looked as if she wanted to say more, but didn't.

"Ginny, it's not selfish for you to want to spend more time with your husband," Hermione reassured. "Especially when you're as newly married as you and Harry are."

"He's doing more important things anyways," Ginny said. "Besides, I'm at practice a lot, so it's totally fine."

Hermione could tell that arguing with Ginny would be fruitless, so she conceded to remaining silent. They sat there for quite some time, just enjoying eachother's company and listening to the soft sound of crickets outside. At almost eleven o'clock, Ginny stood.

"Thanks Hermione," she said softly. "I know this wasn't like the dinner's we usually have, but it really helped."

"I'm glad Ginny," Hermione smiled, giving her friend a quick hug.

"I should get home," Ginny laughed, staring at the clock on Hermione's wall. "Harry will be home soon, and I should be there for him."

"It'll get better Ginny. I promise," Hermione smiled as Ginny walked over to the fireplace.

"I know it will," Ginny smiled softly. "Thanks again Hermione."

Hermione nodded as she watched Ginny disappear in a puff of green flame. Harry and Ginny had been married for only one year; and a rough one at that. The Second Wizarding War had ended almost three years previous, but the Ministry was still cleaning up the mess, and tying up all the loose ends; therefore Harry, along with the other departments, had plenty of work on their plates. She sighed as she cleared the rest of the dishes away from the small table. Life was just getting more and more complicated, and there was nothing anyone could do about it. Dimming the lights in the living room, she walked to her bedroom, her mind full of all the different things that had happened that day.

...

Hermione woke up later than she had meant to the next morning. In a hurry to get to the office, she threw on a set of cream colored robes along with a light pink pencil skirt, white lace blouse and small cream colored flats, twisting her hair into a knot at the back of her head as she rushed from her flat. Exiting the building, she immediately Disapparated to the Ministry. Arriving at her office, she looked at the clock on the wall, sighing in relief as she realized that she had only gotten in a quarter of an hour later than she'd meant to. A happy smile appearing on her face, she took a seat at her desk and started where she had left off the night before; underlining and taking notes.

At noon, she left her office; heading down to the small eatery on the corner outside the Ministry. The bell gave a sweet little chime as she entered the restaurant, making the smile on her face grow. She loved this little place; even if half the reason she loved it was because of the avocado and cucumber sandwiches. She stood in line, trying not to listen to the impolite customer standing in front of her. Once the angry woman had left, she stepped forward and placed her small order without ever looking at the menu; taking a seat next to the window to wait for her meal. Looking absentmindedly out the window, she was mildly surprised to see Harry and Ginny walking along the sidewalk. She smiled and turned away, wanting to give them privacy. They looked happy and she didn't want to let them catch her watching.

"Granger?"

Hermione looked up in confusion to see who had spoken. Her look of confusion turned to one of disbelief as she realized who had addressed her.

"Blaise Zabini," she said with a small smile. "I didn't see you there."

"No, I don't come in often," he answered, looking at her strangely. "What are you- I mean, how are you doing?"

Hermione's brow furrowed slightly, but she brushed it off. "I'm doing alright I suppose. How… um how about you? I haven't seen you around much since you transferred departments."

"Glad to hear you're doing well," Blaise said with a smile. "DOBB is treating me pretty well. I miss Evidence and Evaluation, but Banking is alright."

"I'm glad to hear it," Hermione replied truthfully.

"Lunch break?" Blaise asked, taking a seat across from her.

Hermione nodded. "I'm just waiting for my order, so I can head back to the office."

"Still working over-time," Blaise noted with a laugh. "Granger, you're remarkable."

"Why thank you," Hermione smiled, standing to accept her order from the woman who had brought it to the table. "Now if you'll excuse me," she said looking back at Blaise. "I should be getting back."

"Of course," he said with an easy smile. "Good day Miss Granger."

"To you as well Mr. Zabini," Hermione answered on her way out.

...

Hermione had just gone to bed that night when she heard her fireplace chime, and then roar to life. She sat up slowly in bed, grabbing her wand from the bedside table and throwing her robe on as she quietly walked down the hall towards the fireplace. She screamed as rounded the corner and ran into someone.

"Hermione! Hermione stop! It's me, Harry!"

Hermione stopped screaming, giving the intruder a good, strong slug on the arm.

"Harry Potter how dare you come in my flat in the middle of the night, not announcing yourself and nearly giving me a heart attack?!" she exclaimed, flicking her wand to turn on the lights.

"I'm sorry, but I thought you'd still be awake!" Harry defended, crossing his arms. "You almost always stay up until midnight."

"Well I wasn't awake now was I?" she hissed, stalking into the living room. "What in Merlin's good name was so important that you had to come at this hour?"

"I know you don't owe me any favors at all Hermione, in fact I owe you more than I can count…."

"But?" Hermione asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I really really need you here on this. I have this gut feeling that it's important," Harry said, the look in his eyes broaching on desparate.

"Let me grab a set of robes to throw over this so it doesn't look like I rolled out of bed," Hermione said, sighing in defeat.

She went back into her room and grabbed the set of pale cream colored robes from that day, throwing them on over her nightdress as she walked back into the living room.

"Where are we going Harry?" she yawned. "And will it be over quick?"

"My office," Harry replied. "And I can't say how long it will take, but I don't have a feeling it will be a quick case."

"Of course it's your office," Hermione muttered tiredly, heading over to her sighed as Harry picked up a pinch of floo powder and they both disappeared in a whoosh of green flame.

She stepped out of the fireplace in his office, her eyes ; before narrowing them as she saw who was sitting in Harry's eyes narrowing when she saw who else was present.

"Malfoy?" she said, turning to look at Harry with disbelieving disgust. "That's it Harry, I'm going home. I refuse to do this tonight."

"Hermione, wait!" Harry exclaimed, catching her wrist as she turned to leave. "I would never have asked you to come if I didn't think it might be important."

Hermione pursed her lips tightly, but turned away from the fireplace, taking a seat in the opposite corner of the room; pulling her robes closed. There was no way Malfoy would ever see her in a nightgown.

"You'd better get on with it Malfoy," she said tersely. "I'd enjoy actually getting to sleep tonight."

"From the looks of it, you were already sleeping Granger," Draco said with a cold smirk, glancing quickly over her attire.

Hermione's eyes flashed, and she pulled her robes tighter over her short nightdress.

"Stop it," Harry interrupted, shooting a small glare towards Draco. "She's right Malfoy. This had better be good."

"Do you base all of your investigation on their worthiness Potter?" Draco asked acerbically.

"I do right now," Harry answered sharply.

Draco's cold gaze hardened further, but he continued. "That missing time-turner you're all frantic about finding? It's tied to Death Eater activity."

Hermione let out a harsh laugh after Draco had finished. "You really expect us to believe that a missing time-turner is tied to some non-existent Death Eater activity?"

"Yes," Draco answered without hesitation. "I don't know how, but the Death Eaters are coming back, and I'm sure the time-turner is tied in. The Parkinson's were encountered with a situation the other day. Pansy said two men she didn't know came to the house, asking her father to join an organization, or he would regret it. Mr. Parkinson wouldn't tell her anything else. I'm sure the same thing is happening to other families. The Death Eaters are trying to recruit again."

"So you think that the 'organization' is the Death Eaters?" Hermione asked, looking at Draco with a sarcastic stare. Draco nodded and she continued. "Then you are absolutely out of your mind," Hermione replied. "Death Eater activity has been as prevalent as the blue moon over the past three years." She turned to look at Harry at the end of her sentence, as if looking for confirmation.

Harry nodded slowly, looking at Draco. "All the remaining Death Eaters are in hiding Malfoy. And I don't believe that they will be coming back out into the open any time soon."

"I take it that on your high and mighty worthiness scale, this doesn't even make the charts," Draco hissed quietly.

"We aren't going to make an moves without solid evidence Malfoy," Hermione countered. "And since you haven't given us any…"

"Fine," Draco said rising from his seat. "When you find some actual hard evidence Granger, don't complain about not seeing the signs sooner."

Without another word he left Harry's office, shutting the door behind him. Hermione rolled her eyes and rose from her seat as well.

"That was the biggest waste of time I've seen all week," she commented as she walked towards the fireplace. "What a prat."

"I'm sorry I drug you out here Hermione," Harry said with a large sigh. "I really did think it was something important. Of course, I probably should have known that it wasn't, since it was Malfoy in my office."

"It's fine Harry," Hermione sighed, taking a pinch of floo powder from the jar on the shelf. "However, I really am going home. I'm dead tired."

Harry nodded and turned to sit back at his desk, but Hermione stopped him by gently putting her hand on his shoulder.

"Harry, you should go home too," she advised. At Harry's look of protest, she started talking again. "Your work will still be here tomorrow Harry. Ginny is waiting for you at home right now though. You need to go home. Get some rest, spend some time with your wife. You can come in and finish tomorrow."

Harry sighed, looking back at his desk again. "I know Hermione…. I just feel like I need to get this done."

"And you will," Hermione said, pulling his cloak off the rack behind the door and handing it to him. "Tomorrow."

Harry shook his head, but accepted his cloak with a small smile. "Alright Hermione. You're right, as always."

"You're going through first," Hermione said sternly, pushing him towards the fireplace. "If you don't, the second I leave, you'll go back to your desk."

Harry laughed, but didn't deny her accusations. He took a pinch of floo powder and gave Hermione a small smile before disappearing in a flash of green flame. Hermione smiled to herself, dimmed the lights in his office, and followed shortly after.

...

Hermione was patiently waiting in the lift the next month, humming a muggle tune to herself as the doors slid open. The song died in her throat as she stepped out of the lift to complete chaos. People were running all over, and papers had been scattered and were littering the floor. Hermione turned the corner and walked quickly to Harry's office, not bothering to knock as she opened the door.

"Hermione!" Harry exclaimed as she walked in. He was hurriedly shoving papers into a bag, scribbling things down, and tossing things over his shoulder as he went.

"Harry what in Merlin's name is going on?" Hermione demanded.

Harry looked up to meet her eyes, his hands pausing on their way to his bag. "It's the Greengrass estate. It's been attacked."

"What?" Hermione asked in disbelief as Harry fastened the clasp on his bag, throwing it into a desk drawer. "When did it happen?"

"Sometime last night," Harry answered distractedly, running his hands through his hair. "I have to get over there now."

"I'm coming with you," Hermione said, leaving her bag on the floor near Harry's desk.

Harry nodded, grabbed her hand, and promptly disapparated. Once Hermione felt her feet land on firm ground, she released Harry's hand and stared in shock at what was in front of her. Aurors swarmed the whole estate, going in and out of the house constantly. Smoke rose from one corner of the estate, and the Dark Mark shone shark and horrid against the early morning sky over the Greengrass home. Hermione silently followed Harry as he walked into the estate, preparing herself for anything. They rounded the corner into the sitting room, and Hermione's hand flew to her mouth to stifle a horrified gasp. Mr. and Mrs. Greengrass lay dead on the sitting room floor; their empty eyes staring at the ceiling, blood staining the beige carpeting under them.. Harry paused in front of the scene for a moment, before continuing on, gesturing for Hermione to follow. They walked silently through the mutilated house; Hermione feeling horrified at the destruction of the rooms...the dead house elves in the kitchen, and the blood that was trailed along the walls. While Harry was stopped, looking at a letter found in the hallway, Hermione turned to head upstairs, shrieking as she found Daphne Greengrass, sprawled at the bottom of the staircase, her blonde hair splotched with red framing her delicate face. Harry rushed over, slowing as he saw Daphne's body. He gently pushed Hermione towards the stairs, sidestepping around the blonde girl, whose hollow eyes seemed to stare into Hermione's soul.

"Come on Hermione," he said gently, continuing up the staircase. "We have to finish looking through the house."

Hermione nodded, tearing her gaze away from Daphne as she followed Harry up the stairs, flinching as they found Astoria's body slumped against the railing at the top of the stairs; a thick book still clutched in her hand.

"Who would do something like this?" Hermione asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I think you know Hermione," Harry answered solemnly, continuing to search the many rooms.

"Yes but why?" Hermione said, quickening her pace so she was walking in time with him. "The Greengrass family was never involved in anything remotely dark."

"I don't know Hermione," Harry admitted, closing the last door and turning to go back to the ground level. "But I do know we need to go to Malfoy."

...

"Evidence enough for you Granger?" Draco asked in a hollow voice, as Harry and Hermione entered his office at Malfoy Inc. "Or do you need more? I'm sure they'll be happy to give you some," he finished staring out his office window, his arms crossed over his chest.

"This isn't something to joke about Malfoy," Hermione exclaimed, her blood boiling. "Four people are dead!"

"Do I look like I think this is a joke Granger?" Draco hissed, rising from his chair and turning to Hermione, his eyes blazing with rage. "I warned you about this and you brushed it off as nothing! The deaths of the Greengrass family are almost completely on your shoulders!"

Hermione's retort died in her throat, and she scrambled for some way to defend herself. Before she could think of something however, Draco had turned on Harry.

"And you," he raged, his fury turned to the raven haired man. "I had thought you would be more sensible than this! You're the head of the Auror department! Have you ever brushed off a case before?" At Harry's silence he continued. "No? Well look what happened the one time you did. People are dead Potter. Good people. And all because you refused to believe that I could possibly be telling the truth. You're just as prejudiced as you claim I am."

"You didn't tell us they were going to target people," Hermione said quietly, not looking up.

"Oh I didn't tell you?" Draco fumed. "Granger, the one who claims to know everything? You're claiming that you didn't know because I didn't tell you? Use your brain! Targeting people is what Death Eaters do," he hissed, causing Hermione to flinch away from his wrath. "I can't believe you two are so thick. Get out of my office; there's nothing you can do about it now."

Hermione and Harry said nothing in response, exiting Draco's office with guilt coursing through them as fast as their own blood.

"We as good as killed them ourselves Harry," Hermione whispered, as Draco's door shut behind them. "We could have at least looked into what he was saying; tried to figure things out and we didn't. He's right. Their deaths are on our heads."

Harry shook his head angrily, walking down the hall towards the lift. "We might have not done the right thing this time Hermione," he said with strength lacing his words. "But we're going to fix this. The deaths of the Greengrass family aren't being told to the public. We'll give Malfoy time to cool off, then somehow we will work together to stop this before it gets any bigger."

Hermione stopped right outside the lift, looking questioningly at Harry. "How are you going to keep their deaths private? People were there.."

"I'm going to Kingsley right now. He'll give the all clear for a department obliviation charm; then I'll get the case to go private so only people we add can be a part of this. There's no sense in sending the world into mass panic. Let's see if we can terminate this before it explodes," Harry said grimly. "I'll come talk to you when I've gotten the all clear."

Hermione nodded slowly. Once the lift doors had shut behind Harry, she turned and headed back towards Malfoy's office; determined to make up for her mistake. Standing outside his door, she took a few calming breaths before knocking softly on the wooden panels. The door opened slowly and she was once again faced with someone who she had not been expecting.

"Blaise," she said, releasing the breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "I need to talk to Malfoy."

"Granger…" Blaise said, his features heavy as he looked at her. "This isn't really a good time…" he paused as a cry of outrage sounded from behind him. He sighed and stepped out of the office, closing the door soundly behind him. Seeing Hermione's confused expression, he shook his head and continued.

"I'm not letting you in there Granger… like I said, this really isn't a good time."

"Blaise, I need to talk to him," Hermione said desperately. "I need to fix this. It's my fault that the Greengrass' are dead… I-I have to do something."

Her voice broke at the end and she stood silently staring at the floor, fighting to keep her emotions in check.

"Granger," Blaise said softly. "The deaths of the Greengrass family aren't your fault… no matter what Draco said. Even if you would have listened to him, there was no way you could have known that that would happen."

"But I could have done something…" Hermione whispered. "I could have at least been trying to solve it. Instead, I ignored the warning signs, and now people are dead… and it's all my fault."

"Granger, you listen to me right now, and you listen well," Blaise said suddenly, firmly grabbing Hermione's shoulders and forcing her to look at him. "This isn't your fault. This is all because of the Death Eaters. Understand? You're not a Death Eater so stop beating yourself up about this. If you really want to make up for what happened, start now by actually trying to figure out what's going on. Start doing research, finding suspects. Do what you're good at Granger, instead of moping around feeling sorry for yourself."

Hermione's eyes widened at Blaise's sudden chastisement; her heart beating quickly in her chest. She nodded slowly, and Blaise relaxed his grip on her arms.

"That's better," he said quietly, giving her a sad smile.

"Blaise, I still need to talk to Malfoy. I can't do anything without him. He's the one who knew what was going on," Hermione replied, her voice gaining strength as she continued.

Blaise shook his head and gave a mirthless laugh. "You don't listen to reason do you?"

"What?" Hermione asked, a small smile on her lips.

"I told you it wasn't a good time to go in there, and yet you're still determined to see him aren't you?" Blaise said seriously.

"Yes," Hermione answered confidently. "I don't care how mad he gets."

"Actually I wouldn't worry about _him_ at the moment," Blaise sighed as he opened the door for her.

"GRANGER?! She's the one you tried to tell? Honestly Draco, of all people you could have told, she was probably the absolute WORST choice," a female voice shrieked as Hermione entered the room, standing quietly next to the door. "How could you even possibly think that _she_ would help _us_?"

"Pansy, she wasn't my original choice," Draco angrily protested. "She just came with the package."

Pansy's eyes widened at the last statement and she looked like she might be sick as she asked, "Don't you dare say your first choice was _Potter_."

"Of course my first choice was Potter!" Draco exclaimed, running his hands roughly through his hair. "It's not like I really wanted it to be that way; I thought he'd be the most helpful. He's the head of the Auror department and he defeated the Dark Lord for Merlin's sake."

"Well obviously you were wrong about him," Pansy hissed. "How could you ever think they would even want to help us unless something was in it for them?"

"I thought they'd help Pansy!" He practically screamed. "Even the mudblo-"

He paused, sucking in a sharp breath and squeezing his eyes shut as he realized what he'd just said. Pansy's lips were set in a firm line and her fist quivered at her side, as if begging for contact with Draco's jaw. In the silence that followed, Blaise quietly cleared his throat, notifying them that there were others in the room. The two quarrelers turned, and Hermione could have sworn she saw a flash of pain in Draco's eyes; but she must have imagined it, for the moment she blinked, it was gone and replaced with his cold stare.

"You shouldn't be here Granger," he said in a hollow voice. "This no longer concerns you."

Hermione felt her insides churn as the words tumbled from his mouth. She remained silent for a moment before summoning her courage and speaking.

"Malfoy I-" she started, her voice quivering. "I'm so sorry. I let my pride and hatred get in the way of my better judgement and…. And it's made a mess of everything. I know this can never make up for it, but I truly am sorry and I want to help in any possible way I can… please."

She stopped and watched the reactions around the room. Blaise looked pained, Draco's jaw was clenched so tightly, she feared his teeth would break, and if looks could kill, Hermione would be dead by Pansy's glare. The silence in the room was thick, and to Hermione it felt as if it lasted for an eternity.

"Granger," Blaise finally said softly from besides her. "I think it would be best if you left."

Hermione's eyes misted over slightly and she nodded, leaving the room and closing the door softly behind

her; not looking back for one moment.


	4. Purebloods and Prestige

Purebloods and Prestige

Hermione jumped slightly at the soft knock sounding at her office door. Her eyes returning to the page she'd just been proofreading, she completely forgot to invite however was outside her door to come inside. However, the person outside her door was Harry, who had no trouble letting himself in.

"Hermione?" He asked with a small laugh. "Did you forget that I knocked on the door?"

"Hmm?" Hermione asked, not paying attention; her eyes still glued to the book.

Harry just laughed and took a seat, knowing that in a few moments, she'd break out of her book bubble. Just as he had predicted, a few seconds later, she jumped; closing the book as she did.

"Harry! Oh Godric I'm so sorry! I knew you had knocked, I just… forgot I guess," she trailed off, looking apologetically at him.

"Hermione, it's alright," Harry laughed, a wide smile on his face. "It's actually rather funny to see you get so lost in a book."

Hermione blushed, pushing the book over to the side of her desk. "So… what did you come to my office for Harry?"

"Hmm?" Harry asked, confused for a moment. "Oh! Right. I came to tell you that we're all good to go private on this."

"Really?" Hermione asked, her eyes wide. "That's great! We should start right now! Oh wait-" she said suddenly trailing off, looking rather dejected. "There's no way I can take that much time off of work."

"Don't even worry about it Hermione," Harry reassured. "I got it all covered. Kingsley talked to the boss and got you onto my case. You're still getting paid, and other people will handle the paperwork that will normally come to you. It's all kinda technical, but it's how private cases work. Trust me. I talked to Malfoy about it too."

"Malfoy?" Hermione said, her head tilting slightly to the side.

"Yeah. He's agreed to help us. Along with Zabini and Pansy Parkinson I guess," Harry said, shrugging his shoulders. "He talked to me about it this morning."

Hermione remained quiet, mulling over the new information in her head. "So what do we do now?" she finally questioned.

"We're going to head over to Grimmauld Place," Harry said with a smile. "I've already fixed the wards so they'll be able to get in, and we'll start discussing everything there."

Hermione nodded, pulling her bag out from under her desk and filling it with binders and files. Harry watched, a small smirk on his face. She stood after a few moments, grabbing another stack of papers from a shelf as they exited her office. They began walking down the hall in silence, neither of them feeling the need to say anything. They rounded the corner to the lift, and Hermione's face broke into a smile as she saw the tall, lanky red-head waiting patiently for them.

"Ron!" she smiled, giving him a small embrace. "You're coming too?"

"Of course I am," he replied with a self-assured smile. "Harry couldn't leave his best mate out of this could he? Besides, if we're going to talk to the slippery Silver Trio, the Golden Trio had better all be together."

"The Silver Trio?" Hermione questioned with a laugh.

Harry nodded as they entered the lift. "That's sort of what we've decided to call Malfoy, Zabini and Parkinson. In a way they're almost like us ya know?"

At Hermione's confused expression, Ron cut back in. "There's three of them. They're all from the same house, and there's two males and one female. Also, they seem to work really well together. Just like us. Except for the unfortunate fact that they're from Slytherin."

"You can't base everything off Hogwarts houses," Hermione chided.

"I know," Ron smiled. "Got any food at Number 12 Harry? I'm famished."

Hermione and Harry laughed as the trio exited the lift and walked across the Ministry atrium. "I'm sure Kreacher would be thrilled to cook something up for you. I'm having a hard time finding things for him to do around the house," Harry said with a shake of his head.

"Wonderful!" Ron said with enthusiasm. "I didn't have time for breakfast this morning."

"You missed a meal?" Hermione said with fake horror. "I'm having a hard time believing that."

"Hey!" Ron said indignantly. "It can happen. And it did."

Hermione and the two boys laughed. Truly laughed for the first time in a long time. Once they were outside of the Ministry, they promptly apparated outside of number 12 Grimmauld Place. Malfoy, Blaise and Pansy were already there, as Hermione duly noted.

"Malfoy," Harry said cordially. "You found it."

"It's not that hard Potter," Pansy said with a slight sneer.

Harry looked ready to bite back, but he restrained himself and painted a smile into his face. "I'm glad it was no trouble then."

"I do have somewhere to be later this afternoon Potter," Malfoy commented, lazily twirling his wand. "So if we could get this…. show on the road, that would be preferable."

"Like anything could be more important than this," Ron whispered, leaning close to her ear so only she could hear.

Hermione softly snorted, waiting patiently while Harry entered his home, closing followed by Draco, Pansy and Blaise; with Hermione and Ron dutifully bringing up the rear. They walked past the portrait of Walburga Black who remained oddly quiet as the group made their way to the kitchen. They each took a seat at the table; Ron on Hermione's left and Blaise to her right. They sat in silence for a moment, then the discussion began.

...

"I don't how much you know about any of this Malfoy," Harry started, glancing at Draco out of the corner of his eye. "But I want to know **anything** that you know or that you think you know about any of this."

"That was rather repetitive," Pansy muttered under her breath from across the table.

Blaise shot her a sharp look, and she silenced herself; consenting to glare moodily at Harry from her spot around the table.

"If you're asking me exactly why Death Eaters attacked the Greengrass estate, I have no clue on this earth Potter," Draco said darkly, as Harry slightly adverted his eyes. "All I can tell you is what I know they did when I was previously a member."

Hermione glanced at Blaise and Pansy, noting that they had both paled slightly; Pansy more than Blaise. _Apparently they weren't exactly comfortable with their friend's alliances_ , she thought to herself.

"That's good enough for me," Ron spoke up. "They're probably still using the same methods and techniques. Old pureblood families tend to stick with their ways, whether they work or not. The offense was intentional," he added, seeing Draco's scowl.

"At least we act like we have prestigious heritage Weasel," he hissed. "Can't say the same for you."

Ron shrugged his shoulders and looked at Malfoy without his face changing expression once. "Malfoy, you may think your family is better than mine, but let's keep in mind whose father ended up in Azkaban and whose family name has practically been smashed beyond repair for their crummy life choices."

Draco's jaw clenched, and Blaise let out a slow stream of air. "This isn't getting us anywhere," he mentioned.

"It's making me feel a lot better though," Ron said, a slightly cruel smile on his face.

"I'm glad tearing down my family is making you feel better Weasel," Draco scoffed.

"I seem to recall it working quite well for you ferret, and for your father every time we met," Ron mentioned.

"Okay wonderful!" Pansy said suddenly. "You're both getting a taste of your own medicine. Now can we move on with this? So far all that has happened is introducing the topic and arguing with each other. Not exactly what I'd call successful."

"I agree," Hermione and Blaise said at the same time, much to their surprise. Blaise smiled and remained quiet, allowing Hermione to speak.

"I agree with Pansy," Hermione repeated. "We're here to get things done, and this isn't helping," she said, giving a pointed look to Ron, who held up his hands in defense. "So let's stop acting like children, and get going with this."

Harry grinned at Hermione's statement, and turned his gaze back towards Draco, who was staring at Hermione; whether in anger or disbelief he couldn't tell.

Draco finally broke his gaze away from Hermione, and turned towards Harry, a bored look plastered on his face. "I don't know if you know this Potter, but there's a Sacred Twenty-Eight that the Death Eaters were constantly trying to recruit."

"What's the Sacred Twenty-Eight?" Harry asked, ignoring Ron's exaggerated sigh of disgust.

"You don't want to hear about that Harry," Ron tried to argue. "It's a bunch of crap that purebloods have been feeding off of for centuries."

"It could be important Ron," Hermione mentioned, looking to Harry for support.

Harry nodded, and returned his attention to Draco, who was sneering at Ron.

"The Sacred Twenty-Eight are the twenty eight British wizarding families that are believed to still contain truly pure wizarding blood," Draco started.

"Who are the twenty eight families?" Harry interrupted before Draco could get any further.

Draco looked at him with a rather annoyed expression while Hermione pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill so she could right it all down. He sighed, and started to rattle off the names of the twenty eight pureblood families.

"Abbott, Avery, Black, Bulstrode, Burke, Carrow, Crouch, Fawley, Flint, Gaunt, Greengrass, Lestrange, Longbottom, Macmillan, Malfoy, Nott, Ollivander, Parkinson, Prewett, Rosier, Rowle, Selwyn, Shacklebolt, Shafiq, Slughorn, Travers, Weasley, and Yaxley," Draco stated, not even blinking an eye.

Ron sighed again, and got up from his seat. "I'm going to go find something to eat," he stated.

Blaise smiled, and leaned over to Hermione. "Still a big eater huh?" he whispered in her ear. Hermione's eyes twinkled and she swatted him playfully on the shoulder, before looking back down at her list.

"Why aren't the Potters on here?" she questioned. "Harry's dad's family was pureblood." She also noted to herself that Draco had listed off all those names without hesitation, and they were all in alphabetical order.

"The Potter family was excluded because many pureblood families believed that 'Potter' was a common, muggle surname," Pansy said easily. "And because Henry Potter was an extremely pro-muggle member of the Wizengamot."

"What?!" Hermione exclaimed. "That's absolutely outrageous! Excluding someone just because they support muggles and their surname sounds too common?"

"Hermione that's just how purebloods are," Harry reminded her. "Remember that Andromeda was completely disowned because she married Ted?"

"You mean Draco's aunt?" Blaise asked.

Harry and Draco both nodded. "Pureblood families can often be wrought with tension and feuds," Draco added casually. "I haven't ever seen my aunt Andromeda. That's just what happens."

Hermione's features were lined with confusion and anger, but before she could say any more, Pansy interrupted.

"We're getting a bit off topic don't you think? This wasn't supposed to be a discussion about why the Potters aren't on the list anymore," she pointed out.

"You're right," Ron added, coming back into the room with a plate of scrambled eggs. "Let's get off that stupid list and continue."

"I don't know why you're so bitter about the list Weasley," Blaise commented, watching Ron as he took his seat again. "You're on it. You have nothing to complain about."

"It's still a stupid list," Ron muttered, turning to his plate of eggs.

"Okay so we have the list of the 'Sacred Twenty-Eight' Malfoy," Hermione jumped in, hoping to avoid another row. "What does this have to do with the Death Eaters?"

"Death Eaters only include those whom they think are pure," Draco replied, staring at her with his cool grey eyes. "For them, that means the purebloods. The twenty eight families are the 'purest' in England supposedly."

"But if they only recruited people from the families on that list, they wouldn't be anywhere near as big as they were," Hermione pointed out.

"Right," Blaise cut in. "So they recruited other lesser purebloods from all over the world. They were still pure, just not the purest."

"Again, what does this list have to do with anything then?" Harry questioned, starting to look a bit bored.

"Those twenty eight families were some of the biggest supporters for the Death Eaters, whether they were members or not," Draco replied, looking a bit uncomfortable. "If they refused to join, then they would be money donors."

"What-" Harry started before Pansy jumped in.

"It means that the Death Eaters would harass them for funding," she said, her voice tight. "If they refused to join, they'd have to pay a sum so that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named wouldn't kill them and their families."

"How much did they have to pay?" Ron asked, his plate of eggs completely empty.

"It depended on how wealthy the family was," Draco answered, looking snarkily at the redhead. " _Most_ of the families on that list have more money than they know what to do with, so the sum would be relatively high. After a while, some families would get tired of having to fund, so they would give up and join."

"Either that or they were killed," Pansy whispered. "If they stopped funding and still refused to join… the Death Eaters got rid of them."

"Is that what happened to the Greengrass family?" Hermione asked, looking expectantly at Draco.

"I already told you Granger-in case you forgot- that I don't know why they were targeted. There isn't really a way to find out either," he added.

"We could ask Bill," Ron commented, a thoughtful look on his face. "He might be able to get us access to the Greengrass records. Then we could see if large sums of money were being taken out every so often."

Harry nodded, a small smile present on his lips. "That could really work, if Bill was able to actually get us the records."

"Who is Bill?" Pansy asked, confused that she didn't know who they were talking about.

"William Weasley," Blaise answered quickly. "He goes by Bill. He works as a Curse Breaker for Gringotts."

"Oh," Pansy answered, her brow furrowed. "But how are you going to ask him for help if this is now a private case?"

"We can add people we think will be necessary," Harry reassured. "It's not completely closed, in fact the I'll probably fill the whole Order in on everything."

Pansy and Blaise looked rather confused, but they said nothing. Draco chose this time to exit his seat.

"Glad I could be of service Potter, but as I mentioned earlier, I do have somewhere else to be," he commented as he rose from his seat. "I suppose I'll be back whenever you need me, seeing as there's no way I can get out of this now."

Ron glared at the blonde wizard, and Harry rolled his eyes. "I'm sure whatever you have to do is _so important_ Malfoy," Ron muttered quietly.

"It is actually Weasley," Draco snapped, leaving the room.

Blaise and Pansy's eyes connected for a brief moment, then they broke away looking around the rest of the table with the same expressions they had worn before. If no one had been paying attention, it would have gone completely unnoticed. Hermione however, had seen it.

"Where's Malfoy going?" she asked, looking pointedly at Blaise.

"Um… I'm not exactly sure if that's information you should get from me Granger," Blaise said, not meeting her eyes.

"Oh give it up Blaise. People will figure out sooner or later. It doesn't really matter now does it? She's dead anyways," Pansy said, a bitter edge to her voice.

"Who?" Ron asked, his interest suddenly piqued.

"Astoria Greengrass," Pansy answered. "That's the business he has to go and take care of."

"Well what in Godric's name does he have to be there for? It's not like they were related or something," Ron said, all the interest from before gone.

"Draco and Astoria were… well, they were promised to each other… basically from birth. He has to go and fill out all the legal paperwork," Blaise said quietly.

"Legal paperwork for what?" Ron asked. "It's not like they were already married… were they?"

"No, they weren't married," Pansy reassured him. "It was supposed to happen at the end of this year though. That's why there's paperwork and such. Because it was so close, the Ministry wants to make sure that no… foul play happened."

"They basically had an arranged marriage?" Hermione asked quietly. "How awful."

"Many pureblood families do it Granger," Pansy replied, a look of utter disgust on her face. "They think it's a way to keep all the pureness in their families."

"So are you two….?" Hermione asked nervously glancing at Blaise and Pansy.

"Oh Salazar no," Blaise quickly responded. "No, my family isn't really considered to be a high standing pureblood family, and they never really believed in the whole blood supremacy anyways."

"My family _is_ part of the 'Sacred Twenty-Eight' or whatever, but my parents were much more lenient towards half-bloods and muggleborns. They didn't want me to have to marry someone I didn't love anyways, seeing as I'm their only daughter," Pansy said, a sort of sad smile on her face.

At the confused and mildly shocked looks around the table, Blaise laughed. "Pureblood society isn't all it's cracked up to be… in fact most the time it's just confusing and weird."

"I'm still confused… why does Malfoy have to do paperwork if they weren't married yet?" Harry asked, sharing a quick glance with Hermione and Ron.

"It's because of things that used to be much more prevalent in pureblood society," Pansy answered, waving her hand dismissively. "Families used to murder the person their child was promised to so that they'd get the money."

"Their families get money from their marriage?" Hermione asked, completely shocked.

"Not really anymore," Blaise replied. "Sometimes though. It all depends on the family. Some families give money to the bride's family… others to the groom and his family so that they can start a new life or something like that."

"It's all a bunch of crap anyways," Ron interjected. "Ninety-nine percent of those families don't need money anyways. They're just all out their to be the 'best'."

"So Malfoy has to go and claim that he didn't kill their family? Because he was supposed to marry one of the Greengrass daughters?" Harry asked.

"Pretty much," Pansy said with a sigh. "They do checks on his wand and the rest of his family, they search their house, and do all kinds of other ridiculous stuff."

"Like I said," Blaise sighed. "Pureblood society is pretty messed up."

The table fell silent, all of them thinking about the Greengrass family and what they were going to try and stop, until Pansy spoke up again.

"So you're going to check bank statements to see if they were being hassled for money?"

Ron nodded. "Yeah I'll talk to Bill and see what I can do. Goblins are tricky and we might not be able to get anything, but it's worth a shot."

"I wonder if that's what's going to happen to my family," Pansy said, gnawing her bottom lip. "I don't even know if the two men that came to my house were Death Eaters or not… but my father wouldn't tell me anything and he and mum were acting all nervous the other day."

"We can put up wards around your house Pansy," Harry offered. "Hermione's really good at them."

Pansy glanced at Hermione, her eyes betraying her fear. "Will you Granger? I don't want anything bad to happen to my family… they're- they're all I have."

Hermione nodded, giving the other girl a small smile. "Of course Pansy," she said as she stood up. "I think that's all we can do for the night, so I can come back and do it now if you want?"

Pansy nodded, and the little meeting dispersed. Hermione walked out of the kitchen, Pansy following closely behind her. Once they were outside of number 12, Pansy took Hermione's hand cautiously in hers and apparated to her family estates. Hermione's feet hit firm ground and she looked around, surprised by her surroundings. The Parkinson estate looked almost like the Greengrass estate. There were hedges surrounding the grounds, a long stone pathway leading to the door, and a large house sitting in the center of it all.

"I guess I'll get started then," Hermione said.

Pansy nodded looking worriedly at her house. "How long does it take you?"

"Not too long," Hermione answered. "Although," she said looking back at the house. "I've never done them on a house this big. It might take me a little longer than usual."

"That's alright. I'll wait for you," Pansy said, taking a seat on a small iron chair outside in the garden.

Hermione nodded and started making her way around the house, putting up all the protective wards and spells that she knew of. It didn't take her as long as she thought it would, and soon she was back where she started.

"That's all I know Pansy. Hopefully it helps," she said with a small smile.

"Thank you Granger," Pansy said, her voice catching slightly.

"You're welcome," Hermione said, turning to leave.

"Wait," Pansy said suddenly, causing Hermione to turn around. "I… I'm truly sorry for the way I acted towards you in school Grang- um...Hermione. You were never anything less than kind towards me, and I treated you so poorly…. And I'm really sorry."

"Thank you Pansy," Hermione said quietly, smiling at the young woman in front of her. "I'll see you at the next meeting?"

Pansy nodded, then turned and walked into her house without another word. Hermione smiled to herself as she walked to the edge of the property before disapparating.


	5. What to Tell the Order?

A/N: Hey everyone! Thanks to all of you that have previewed and looked at my story, and especially a BIG shout out and thanks to TTP who was the first one to favorite my story! Thank you so much TTP, it really means more than you could ever know. In this chapter tried to imitate what a French accent would look like in writing. I am taking French in school, but I am no where near fluent, so this was all just my perception of Fleur and her accent. A lot of the things that might normally be accented in the French language might not be accented with her because she's married to and living around English speakers now. So that would have an effect on her accent.

Also, just a note that I don't own anything. All rights to J.K. Rowling.

What to Tell the Order?

Hermione, Ron and Harry stood outside of Shell Cottage the next week, waiting for someone to answer the door. It was a Sunday, and they were sure someone would be home. Finally they heard footsteps approaching, and the door opened promptly afterward.

"Bonjour 'ermione, 'arry, Ron," Fleur greeted opening the door so they could enter. "What brings you 'ere theez afternoon?"

"We were hoping we could talk to Bill," Harry answered, smiling as a small blonde head bolted around the corner and attached themselves to his legs.

"Uncle Harry!" the small girl exclaimed, lifting her head to beam at him. "I didn't know you were coming to visit!"

"Victoire," Fleur scolded. "You mustn't attack Uncle 'arry… he eez 'ere to see your father, not to play."

"Oh," Victoire said, detaching herself from Harry's legs, her light blue eyes looking dejectedly up at her mother. "Can Uncle Ron play?"

Fleur looked at Ron, one of her pale eyebrows raised in question.

Ron smiled and looked down at his niece. "Of course I can play," he said, leaning down to take her outstretched hand.

"Let's go play outside in the sand! You can help me build castles!" Victoire said, happily skipping out the back door.

"Don't let 'er play too near thee water Ronald," Fleur cautioned as her daughter and brother-in-law disappeared out the door.

"Anyways," she continued, turning back to Hermione and Harry. "You are 'ere to see Bill?"

"Yes," Harry affirmed. "Is he here?"

Fleur shook her head, her blonde hair tumbling softly over her shoulders. "He eez not 'ere, but he should be home quite soon I theenk. Would you like something to eat while you wait?"

"Of course," Harry said politely as Fleur smiled and led them into the small kitchen. He and Hermione took a seat at the table while Fleur puttered around the kitchen, putting tea on the stove and waving her wand to cook something for them to eat.

"Why did you need to see my 'usband?" Fleur asked, coming to take a seat at the table as well. "Eez something wrong?"

"Not necessarily," Harry reassured her. "We just have a few questions about Gringotts."

Fleur nodded, rising from her chair as the teapot whistled. Taking it off the stove, she neatly poured it into three small teacups, and grabbed a plate of biscuits, bringing everything back to the table.

"Gringotts eez very complicated," Fleur said with a shake of her head. "I don't theenk I will ever be able to understand all of it."

Hermione nodded, taking a sip of her tea. Harry looked as if he was about to say something when they heard the fireplace chime. Fleur rose from her seat again as Bill came into the kitchen.

"Hey Fleur have you seen-"Bill started before turning and seeing Harry and Hermione at his kitchen table. "Harry, Hermione. Sorry I didn't see you there. How are you doing?"

"Good," Harry answered, rising from his seat, his tea forgotten. "Can we talk?"

Bill looked at him, his eyes slightly narrowed as if he was trying to read Harry's mind. "Sure. Let's go in my office."

He smiled at his wife and took the cup of tea she offered him, before leading Hermione and Harry down the hall towards a small study. He opened the door, and gestured for them to enter before closing and locking the door behind them.

"What's this about?" Bill asked, taking a seat behind the cluttered desk.

"There's Death Eaters that are trying to make a comeback," Harry answered. "We don't exactly how many or what their plans are, but we have a small lead and we would like to see if it goes anywhere."

"When exactly were you planning on telling this to the rest of the Order?" Bill asked, his gaze hard.

"Today actually," Harry replied, running his hands absent-mindedly through his black hair. "I sent out owls late last night asking for everyone to meet at Grimmauld place. I figured I'd tell you in person since we were planning on coming here anyways."

"So what do you need me for?" Bill asked with a small sigh. "You do know that I work for a bank? Not the Aurors department."

"Yes," Harry answered with a slightly annoyed edge to his tone. "That's why we came to you. The lead we got led us to believe that Death Eaters often bribed rich pureblood families into funding them. If they agreed to 'donate' money then they would be kept 'safe'. If they stopped or refused, they were killed."

Bill nodded, seeing where the conversation was going. "Whose records do you need?"

"The Greengrass family," Hermione answered.

"Greengrass?" Bill said with surprise. "That's odd. They haven't ever been tied to stuff like that… and now that I think about it, I haven't seen them for a while."

"They're dead," Harry said grimly. "That's why we're doing this. We want to see if they were being baited."

"They're all dead," Bill said flatly. "The whole family?"

Hermione and Harry nodded solemnly, and Bill continued. "Well, I would love to help you, but I don't have access to bank records."

Harry let out a huff of steam, but Hermione could tell that Bill wasn't done. "But?" she prompted, a small smile on her face.

"But I know a guy that could probably get you what you need," Bill said, shooting Hermione a smile. "I'd have to get ahold of him somehow, but I'm sure he'd be happy to help."

"Perfect," Harry said, a bit of the tension gone from his voice. "Thanks Bill."

Bill nodded, downing his tea in one gulp. "Hey Harry," he said, getting up from his seat. "Who gave you the lead? And don't try and tell me that you came up with it on your own, because no offense to you, but there needs to be some sort of back-up knowledge to get something like that."

Harry paused, mulling over his word choice before speaking. "Draco Malfoy gave us the information."

"Malfoy," Bill said, his face not changing expression. "As in the pureblood offspring twat of _Lucius_ Malfoy?"

Harry nodded, gauging Bill's reaction. "Well I suppose that explains it," Bill said, clearing his throat slightly. "He'd be sure to know how the Death Eaters worked seeing as both him and his despicable father were members."

He shook his head again, as if not quite believing what Harry had told him. He was silent as they walked down the hall back to the kitchen, then he suddenly changed the topic. "So Harry, since you were in my house before I got home, do you happen to know where Vic is?"

"She eez outside playing een the sand with your brother," Fleur answered, coming out of the kitchen.

"Which brother?" Bill asked, with a sigh. 'If it's Fred or George, we'll never get her back inside."

His question was answered as Victoire came barrelling into the house, scattering sand from her dress and she flung herself into her father's arms; Ron following behind her, waving his wand to clean up the gritty sand from the floor.

"Daddy!" Victoire laughed as she clung to Bill's neck. "Uncle Ron came outside and builded sand-castles with me! We builded one this tall and this wide!" She exclaimed, stretching her arms as far apart as she could.

"That sounds amazing," Bill agreed with a smile.

"Come and sees it daddy!" Victoire exclaimed, attempting to get down from her father's arms.

"How about your mum and I both go look at it after dinner?" Bill asked, letting his five-year old daughter clamber down from his arms.

"That long?" Victoire pouted, her bottom lip puckered out.

"Your mum already has dinner ready," Bill replied. "And it's your favorite. We wouldn't want it to get cold now would we?"

Victoire shook her head vehemently, her blonde hair flying everywhere.

"Can you go and wash up your 'ands Victoire?" Fleur asked, smiling down at her daughter. "We can't eat

unteel your 'ands are nice and clean."

"Alright mummy!" Victoire smiled as she rushed over to the sink to clean her hands.

"I'd ask you to stay for dinner," Bill said. "But it sounds like you're going to have quite the full house at Grimmauld place tonight."

"Oh shoot!" Harry said, smacking his head. "I forgot! We'd better go. Thank you so much for your help Bill!"

Bill nodded, walking over to the sink to help Victoire dry her hands.

"You are velcome here anytime," Fleur smiled, walking over to the door with them.

"Thank you Fleur," Hermione smiled. "And thank you for the tea. It was delicious."

"Eet eez my pleasure 'ermione," Fleur replied, turning her head as her daughter called to her from the kitchen.

"We'd better go," Harry said, stepping out of the house. "Can we apparate?"

"Just outside the fence," Fleur said, nodding to the fence that lined the front of the property.

Hermione and Harry waved goodbye to Victoire as she came up behind her mother, Ron and Bill following.

"Thanks Bill," Ron said, smiling at the shell in his hand that his niece gave him.

"Any time Ron," Bill laughed, clapping Ron on the back. "Victoire loves playing with you."

Ron laughed and walked out besides Harry and Hermione as the door shut behind them.

"I'd say that was pretty successful," Hermione said as they walked to the fence.

"Yeah I think so," Harry agreed, laughing as he watched Ron attempt to brush sand out of his hair. "Got a little sand on yourself there Ron?"

"You don't even know," Ron sighed. "Vic likes to pretend it's fairy dust and she throws it everywhere."

Harry and Hermione laughed, Hermione waving her wand and clearing all the sand from Ron's hair. "We'd better hurry back though," she commented, slipping her wand back into her robes. "Everyone will be at Grimmauld place soon."

Ron and Harry nodded, and they all disapparated; arriving seconds apart from each other in front of the house.

"I'd better go make sure we have enough chairs," Harry sighed. "And let Kreacher know that we're going to be having a lot of company tonight."

"I think he might already know Harry," Ron mentioned as they walked into the house, almost stumbling on Kreacher, who was waiting patiently near the door.

"Master Harry," Kreacher said, stepping slowly out of their way. "You have guests."

"Yes I know Kreacher," Harry said with a sigh. "There will be a lot more coming tonight, so could you possibly find me some more chairs and seats?"

"It would be Kreacher's pleasure sir," Kreacher said with a small bow before he disappeared with a small pop.

"I wonder who made it here already?" Ron wondered aloud as they walked further into the house.

"Question answered," he said as they walked into the kitchen to see a small group of people already gathered around the table.

"Harry," Ginny said, getting up from her seat and walking over.

"Nice to see you too sis," Ron muttered good-naturedly.

"Shut it Ron," Ginny teased. "Are you going to tell them all?" she asked Harry quietly as she wrapped her arms around him.

"Yeah," he replied, sighing as he twirled a piece of her fiery red hair in his fingers, his arms still wrapped around her. "I'm hoping they take it alright."

"They'll take it as good as can be expected," Ginny replied, quickly pecking him on the cheek as she released her arms.

"Gross," Ron quietly complained to Hermione. "They need to get a room. No one wants to see that."

"Oh knock it off Ron," Hermione said, smacking him on the arm. "I seem to recall that you and a certain Miss Lavendar Brown were much worse than that."

Ron flinched. "Don't remind me," he groaned. "That was the worst mistake of my life."

"I won't argue with you there," Ginny laughed, walking past him to go back into the kitchen, Harry following behind her, a small smirk on his face.

"Ugh!" Ron groaned again. "Is everyone always going to remember that?"

"No, just those of us that want to tease you about it," Ginny laughed, throwing him a package. "That was on the doorstep at home. Don't know who it's from."

"Thanks," Ron said, sitting down to open the package. "I am praying it's not something work related. I already have enough to do."

"You and everyone else Ron," Katie Bell laughed from her seat across the table.

"Don't try to pretend you're the only swamped one," Angelina agreed, her light laugh matching Katie's.

"Oh stuff it Johnson," Ron grumbled with a smile. "You play quidditch for a living. I'd say that's a pretty good thing to be swamped with."

"Agreed," Angelina said, while Ginny laughed.

"This is a nice place you've got here Harry," Luna commented, her eyes scanning the room. "I like it."

"Thanks Luna," Harry smiled. "I hope you didn't have any trouble finding it?"

"None at all," Luna replied. "Though I did get slightly distracted with a group of Nargles I passed on the way here. They held my attention for quite a while," she added wistfully.

Dean shook his head with a smile. "Those Nargles seem to be quite intriguing."

"Oh they are," Luna smiled. "They really are fascinating creatures."

"Sure Luna," Hannah agreed from her seat next to Neville. "Whatever you say."

"So who are we missing Harry?" Ernie asked from the far corner of the room.

"That's easy," Lee Jordan piped up. "Fred, George, Molly, and Arthur. And Bill and Fleur I guess," he added as an afterthought.

"Bill and Fleur won't be here," Hermione said. "We just stopped by their house to fill them in earlier today. As for the rest of the Weasley's.. I have no idea what's keeping them."

"Nothing now," Fred laughed as he startled Hermione, causing her to shriek quietly. "We got held up at the store, and then we dropped by to remind mum and dad," George continued, coming up behind his brother. "Charlie is coming too,"he added, looking at Harry. "He's back home at the moment."

"Wonderful," Harry smiled. "Is Percy coming?"

"No, he's in America again," Fred said, shaking his head. "Still helping to try and get the new department over there situated and such."

Harry nodded and watched as Molly, Arthur and Charlie all came through the door, stopping behind Fred and George, seeing as they were blocking the entry-way.

"Oi Freddy," Charlie called from the back of the group. "If you don't get your hindquarters moving, we're going to have old Walburga screaming at us for staying in the hall for so long."

"Charlie!" Molly chastised him, trying to turn around so she could fix him with one of her signature glares. "We would like it if you moved though dear," she called up to Fred. "It's rather squished back here, and I'm sure there's more people coming."

"Why're you yellin' at Georgie mum? He's done nothing wrong," one of the twins called back.

"Oh I'm sorry George," Molly apologized, trying to see around Arthur.

"He's only joking mum," 'George' called back. "I'm Fred, and he's George."

"You two had better stop doing that!" Mrs. Weasley threatened, trying to squish her way around her husband to get to the twins.

"Go Freddy go!" George called, as they scrambled to get away from their mother. "She's on a rampage again!"

The room was filled with laughter as everyone watched the twins try and escape; only to end up tripping over each other and landing in a heap on the floor.

"We're dead Freddy," George moaned from the floor. "She's going to eat us alive."

"I won't eat you alive if you get up off of that floor and act like the mature adults you are," Molly exclaimed, walking past them into the kitchen.

"Mature adults huh?" Fred said, scrambling up off the floor. "Who does she think she's talking about? Us being mature? She must have us confused with a different Fred and George."

"Undoubtedly," George agreed, jumping up from the floor and following his twin into the kitchen. "So, is everyone here?"

"Almost," Harry said, flinching slightly as the door opened and three more people joined the quickly multiplying crowd.

"Malfoy?! Zabini?! Parkinson?!" shouts of exclamation sounded from all over the room.

"What in Merlin's name are you thinking?" Angelina asked, looking doubtfully at Harry. "You _are_ aware that aren't exactly on the same side we are right?"

"He's a Death Eater!" Ernie exclaimed, glaring at Draco. "You might as well have invited his father over as well!"

"He tried to kill Katie!" Hannah mentioned, her face flushed. "That's not exactly good guy material!"

"Parkinson tried to hand you over to Lord Voldemort!" George said, scooting further into the room and farther away from the unwelcomed guests. "Their Slytherins! They can't be trusted!" Lee and Fred added.

Hermione watched as people complained and shouted their disagreements at Harry. Katie she noticed, hadn't said anything, she was sitting calmly in her seat, looking at Malfoy, Blaise and Pansy; Hermione could tell the wheels in her head were whirling. Luna, Neville, Ginny, Molly, Arthur and Charlie hadn't said anything either she noticed. The sat or stood around the room, watching the chaos ensue; unsure of what to do.

"Stop it!" Katie exclaimed, standing and raising her voice so it could be heard over the racket. "Everyone shut up and listen!"

Hearing Katie's uncharacteristic outburst, the noise in the room died, and everyone turned their eyes away from the hated trio-who still remained silent by the door- and stared at Katie. She stood uncertainty by her seat, suddenly unsure of what to say. She looked over at Hermione, then took a deep breath.

"We can't fight them," she said quietly, but firmly. "They're obviously here for a reason," she said glaring at Ernie as he looked ready to protest. "If Harry trusts them then so do I."

"But Katie they're-" Hannah started before Katie stopped her.

"I know who they are Hannah, and I know what they've done. Trust me," she said, grimly looking over at the hallway's occupants. "I know better than some of you what they're capable of and what they've done in the past. That's just it though," she said, her gaze wandering around the room, looking everyone in the eye. "It's all in the past. Everyone makes mistakes; granted some are much much bigger than others," she said, glancing at Malfoy. "But no matter what mistakes a person has made, they deserve a second chance. We don't have the right to judge them and hold them to what they've done. We need to move on and let them move on too."

Katie fell silent, and all the eyes in the room were on her; many of them were so shocked into silence that they couldn't say anything, they just continued to stare at Katie who suddenly looked very uncomfortable.

"Um, sorry Harry. Go ahead and tell us what you needed to," she said quietly, sitting back down.

Harry nodded, standing from his seat so that everyone could see and hear him. He took a deep breath and started. "Death Eaters are trying to make a reappearance."

Gasps and whispers immediately bounced around the room; many angry and blaming stares were thrown the way of the three Slytherins who had remained in the same spot.

"So that's why they're here?" Dean offered, looking confused. "They're part of the Death Eater movement?'

"No," Ron stated, standing up besides Harry, his package left forgotten on his seat. "Believe it or not, Malfoy was actually the one who warned us about it."

"Probably because he's part of it!" Hannah said, glaring at the blond man.

"This is about what happened to the Greengrass family isn't it?" Neville asked from his seat. "I seem to be the only one in the department that knows about it."

"Sorry about that Neville," Harry said, meeting the other man's eyes. "I didn't want to send the world into mass panic, and neither did Kingsley."

Neville nodded in understanding and Angelina spoke up. "What happened to the Greengrass family?"

"They were murdered by Death Eaters," Harry said, meeting her eyes. This statement was met with more gasps and even a few cries of outrage. Harry held up his hands and the room quieted again. "We're trying to figure out the cause, and we need your help. We need to be on the lookout for things that would hint at Death Eater activity or anything remotely dark. We want to try and stop this before it gets out of hand again," he said grimly.

"Those three are helping with information and things like that aren't they?" Luna asked airily, glancing over at the shadowed trio.

"Yes," Ron replied. "They helped us get the tip that we have now, which is that many families were being hassled for money to fund the Death Eaters, and if they stopped or refused to fund, they were killed. We're looking into it now. Without them we would have never even thought of that," he said, nodding in the direction of Malfoy and crew.

"We're going to need all of your help with this," Harry said, looking around the room. "I understand if some of you want nothing to do with this. If you want to leave, now is the time; before we're in too deep."

"None of us are going to leave Harry," Fred spoke up, and his statement was accompanied by many nods of agreement. "We're going to stick through this with you."

Harry nodded in appreciation, and gave a small smile to everyone in the room. "Thank you all for doing this. I had hoped that we wouldn't have had to deal with this ever again."

"Maybe we can actually wipe it out this time," Lee laughed. "I mean we are all quite a bit bigger now," he said with a small grin.

His statement was met with a few light laughs, and the tension in the room seemed to lighten slightly.

"How are we going to keep in touch?" Katie suddenly asked. "We don't want to be constantly owling… that could be dangerous if people are watching the mail."

"We could always use patronuses," Hermione spoke up quietly, when no one said anything. "We all learned how to cast them in the D.A."

"That could work well," Arthur agreed.

"We'll do that then," Harry said. "But let's only use them when it's completely necessary. "If you can hide your message well in the mail, do that. Or we could bring the coins we used in the D.A back. Those would work as well. We don't want people getting suspicious."

The people around the room nodded, everyone looking quite serious.

"That's really all I wanted to tell you," Harry said, suddenly out of things to say. "So um… thank you all again."

His statement close, the room's occupants rose from their seats and slowly started leaving either alone or in small groups. Harry sighed heavily and fell back into his seat.

"You handled that really well mate," Ron said, also sitting back down. "That actually went much smoother than I would have previously thought."

Ginny nodded, taking Harry's hand in hers. "There wasn't really any fighting which was what I was worried about. This house really is rather squishy and fighting in here would probably result in a missing wall or two," she said with a small smile.

Harry nodded, absent-mindedly staring at the wall, his thoughts going in every direction. She looked over to where Malfoy, Pansy and Blaise had been standing and noticed that they were still there, talking quietly with Katie.

"Thanks for that Bell," Blaise said softly, his dark brown eyes tiredly looking at Katie's.

Katie didn't really say much, just gave them a weary smile. "It was the right thing to do."

"Really though Be-Katie," Pansy said, catching herself on Katie's name. "It means a lot. We might not have been the best people in the past. Salazar knows we're probably still not anywhere near the sort of people you lot are usually around. But you know, what you did in there, that was really… brave of you."

Pansy gave the older girl a sad sort of smile before walking out, Blaise following closely behind her. Katie turned to leave as well, when Draco spoke up.

"Katie," he said in a voice akin to a whisper. "I am so sorry for what I did to you…. I was a coward and it nearly cost you your life."

Katie didn't say anything, just looked down at the floor, not wanting to meet his eyes.

"I know there isn't anything I can ever do to make up for that… but I am more sorry than you'll ever know," Draco said softly.

"I forgive you," Katie said, looking up into his grey eyes; noticing that they were full of regret and sorrow. "I'm not saying that what you did was okay," she continued quietly. "But I do forgive you. Things were awful and a lot of people were pressured into doing things that they wouldn't have done normally. Thank you for apologizing though. That means you really do regret it, and you want to be better. You're a good person Draco," she said giving him a small smile. "You might not know it yet, and you might not think you are, but I can tell. You want to do the right thing."

Draco looked at her, his normally expressionless face lined with confusion.

"Anyways, I have to get going, but thank you," she said turning back towards the door. "Travel safe Draco."

He nodded and watched as she left, shutting the door softly behind her. He sighed and looked once more at the still slightly crowded kitchen-mostly Weasleys he noted-before he left without another word.

"That was weird," Ron mentioned, munching on a plate of crackers. "Not necessarily weird I guess," he continued. "Just unexpected."

"What?" Hermione asked, her gaze drawn away from the empty hallway where Katie and Draco had previously been.

"What Katie did," Ron answered, taking a sip of pumpkin juice. "I don't know if I could do that. I mean, yeah Malfoy isn't quite as bigoted and such like he used to be, but he's still Malfoy. I'm still hurt by how he treated us. And he did almost kill me, so there's that too," he added as an afterthought.

"He probably almost killed all of us multiple times if you think about it that way," Ginny said with a small yawn. "But he's obviously changing, otherwise he wouldn't have offered to help."

"I guess so," Ron admitted, his plate of crackers finished. "I still don't quite trust him yet."

"And you don't really have to," Harry said from his seat. Hermione looked over at hearing Harry's voice. He was leaned back in his chair and his eyes were closed, almost as if he were asleep. "You don't have to trust him all the way Ron," he said, opening his eyes. "You just have to trust him enough to work with him."

"I guess I'm good in that category then," Ron said with a sigh, getting up and putting his plate and glass in the sink. "I mean, we've already been working with him, so I guess I'm covered." He yawned stretched his arms. "I'm going to head back to my flat. I'm totally beat. See you guys tomorrow I guess," he said with another yawn, walking over to the door.

"Harry dear why didn't you tell us any of this sooner?" Molly Weasley asked, coming over. "This is serious stuff."

"I know Molly," Harry said with a sigh. "I would have told you sooner, but we just barely figured out most of it ourselves. I told you all as soon as I had enough to actually tell you."

"You did the right thing Harry," Mr. Weasley said, walking over with Charlie. "No need getting people worried before it's necessary."

Mrs. Weasley nodded, though she still looked rather frazzled.

"Hey where'd my little brother get off to?" Charlie asked, noticing that Ron was gone.

"He had a snack and then headed out for his flat," Ginny answered her older brother. "He seemed pretty tired. They all went over to Bill's earlier and I think he got roped into entertaining Victoire."

"You went to Bill's earlier?" Charlie asked, looking at Harry. "Why?"

"We wanted him to look up the Greengrass family records for us," Hermione said. "We wanted to see if they were being bribed for money."

Charlie and his parents nodded in understanding. "How's he doing?" Molly asked, a small line of worry lining her face. "And Fleur and little Vicky?"

"They're all doing fine Molly," Harry answered.

"Good," Arthur smiled, taking his wife's hand. "We'd better get going though. It's getting late and the longer we stay, the longer everyone else will stay."

"Actually you guys are the last ones here besides us," Ginny said, looking around the empty room.

"Oh well then we should definitely go so you three can get home too," Molly said, pushing her husband and son towards the door. "Have a wonderful rest of your night dears. And be safe."

"We will mum," Ginny called as the door shut behind the three elder Weasleys.

"I'd better go too," Hermione said, getting up slowly from her seat. "I'm going to go and do some research tomorrow… see if I can find anything while we wait to hear from Bill.

"Hogwarts?" Harry asked, getting up and waving his wand so all the chairs went back to their original places.

Hermione nodded with a smile. "I owled Professor McGonagall last night and asked. She said it was alright as long as I didn't pester any students."

"Which you won't," Harry said. "You like doing research all by yourself. That way you're totally un-interrupted.," he finished with a laugh.

"Is that a bad thing?" Hermione teased, walking out into the hallway.

"No of course not," Harry reassured her. "It's just you Hermione. Good luck though. I'm not sure what Hogwarts will have on this kind of stuff."

"Never hurts to try," Hermione called back to them as she passed through the wards and disapparated.


	6. A Very Unexpected Visit

_**A/N: So know that I did an author note last chapter, and now I'm doing it again. I promise I'm trying not to do one every chapter! Anyhow, I'm a little hesitant about what you all will think of this chapter, so if you would all be so kind as to review my story! I would absolutely LOVE to hear what you all have to say! I love you all, and thank you to all those that have been reading this since the start!**_

 _ **As always, I don't own anything as it all belongs to J.K. Rowling.**_

A Very Unexpected Visit

Hermione sat in the Hogwarts library the next day, pouring over a mountain of books. She rubbed her eyes and looked back at the page she was trying to concentrate on. The words we starting to blur on the page, and she was having trouble focusing on what she was looking for. With a sigh, she bookmarked the page and grabbed a different book from the pile. Maybe a change in books would help her concentrate.

...

...

...

"Malfoy, I need you to do this for me," Harry sighed, as they stood outside Malfoy Incorporated.

"Why can't you just do it after work? I'm sure a couple of extra hours won't kill the kid," he grumbled. "Besides, I'm not inclined to treat you to any more favors Potter. I've already outdone myself over you. My

favors side is currently under construction from doing too much to help other people. Specifically for the Scarred Savior and the rest of the bloody Golden Trio."

"You done feeling sorry for yourself?" Harry said, his face blank.

Draco narrowed his eyes, but accepted the piece of parchment and picture that the wonder boy handed him. "Who even is the kid I'm supposed to pick up?"

"My godson Teddy," Harry replied, straightening his glasses. "He's supposed to come to my house for the weekend while his grand mum is away and I was supposed to pick him up but now I have this emergency case to work on. You don't have to do much, just pick him up and take him over to the Burrow. Molly will look after him there until I get back."

"Yeah yeah I remember that part Potter," Draco muttered. "This is the last time I'm going to be your bloody messenger boy."

Harry grinned, a thoughtful look on his face. "Actually if we're being technical, I think you'd be a delivery boy today Malfoy."

Draco growled and stared at the Raven-haired boy. "Don't push your luck with me Potter."

Harry shrugged and promptly disapparated, leaving Draco outside the business looking completely disgusted. He looked down at the parchment in his hands, where a single address was written. He didn't even recognize the neighborhood. _Probably muggle_ , he groaned inwardly. He read over the address a few more times before shoving the parchment into his robe pocket and looking at the picture that Potter had given him. The house was nice he supposed. It didn't look rather large, but it had pale blue flowers lining the front and a large tree on the left side of the house. The house itself was a light beige color, with darker browns outlining and defining different points of the house. He sighed and put the picture is his pocket next to the parchment. He absolutely _hated_ apparating to places he'd never been before. Kids also were pretty low on his list of tolerances. Potter had some nerve. He sighed and focused on the address and the house as he felt the tug in the pit of his stomach pulling him away. He landed easily on his feet and looked at the house in front of him. It was definitely the house from the picture; it even had the blue flowers out front, that surprisingly hadn't wilted in the autumn heat. He groaned at his upcoming task as he walked slowly up to the door. He didn't even have a clue who lived here; he just knew that Potter's bloody godson apparently lived here with his grand mum because his parent had died during the war. Not looking forward to having to introduce himself, he knocked rather hesitantly on the door, halfway praying that no one would answer. _So much for that_ , his brain reminded him as he heard footstep from inside the house and the latch on the door being unlocked. He took a breath and prepared what he would say, but the second the door opened, his words died in his throat; for the woman standing at the door looked shockingly like his own mother.

"Draco?" the woman who he now recognized as his aunt asked.

He nodded, still slightly in shock and unable to say anything. Why in Merlin's name was this happening to him? _Potter_ , he thought with a shred of anger.

"Would you like to come in?" Andromeda asked gently, looking worriedly at the young man that stood on her doorstep.

"Thank you," Draco managed to answered, carefully walking into the house.

"We would be more comfortable in the sitting room if you would like," Andromeda offered, watching him glance uncomfortably around the small entry-way.

Draco replied with a small nod, following the older witch further into the house, which although he hated to admit, had a rather cozy feel. Andromeda led him into the small sitting room, offering him a seat on the steel blue couch situated against the far wall. In the armchair against the other wall, he took notice of a small form, huddled under a green comforter, apparently asleep. He sat down cautiously on the couch, still unsure of what to say or do.

Andromeda took a seat on the same couch, but far enough away from her nephew that he wouldn't feel so trapped and uncomfortable. She gently smiled at him, noticing how much he looked like her little sister and her brother-in-law. He had her same pale blond hair, although his was starting to get slightly darker, and his pale grey eyes looked so much like his father's but they held small slivers of blue in them.

"What can I do for you Draco?" she asked politely, folding her hands delicately in her lap. "I'm assuming you didn't quite know you'd be seeing me today did you?"

"No I didn't," Draco admitted apologetically, looking up to meet his aunt's dark brown eyes. Now that he thought about it, she didn't look an awful lot like his mother in physical appearance; but her face, her expressions, her tone, and the way she held herself…. It was like looking at his mother. Realizing he had stopped talking, he shook his head to clear his thoughts, and continued. "I didn't know that you lived here… I just came on an errand from Potter."

Andromeda smiled, her eyes lighting up. "Harry sent you? He must have wanted you to come and pick up Teddy," she said, gesturing to the sleeping form huddled in the armchair. "He just laid down for a nap… it's difficult to get him to rest, otherwise I would wake him." she said with a small smile.

"I take it that Potter normally comes then?" Draco said, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

"Yes. Either him or Hermione usually come," Andromeda answered. "Do you know Miss Granger? She must have been in your year. She seems to be your age."

"Oh I know her," Draco said, averting his eyes and staring at the carpet.

Andromeda's expression hardened slightly seeing her nephew's complete discomfort and slight disgust. It was obvious that he didn't like the brilliant witch, and it was probably because of her heritage. _I hope my family's awful purist ideas haven't poisoned him beyond return_ , she thought with disgust. Her family was known for being awful towards anyone who they believed didn't have 'pure' blood. She mentally reprimanded herself and reminded her over-active brain to not judge the young man in front of her too harshly. He'd grown up in molded living situations however; she couldn't blame him for what he believed considering what purebloods forced down their poor children's throats. She took a small breath and her gaze softened back to what it had been before.

"They usually come to pick up Teddy, but I'm assuming that since you're here in their place, life has gotten quite busy for them again," she said, hoping that her silence hadn't made her nephew think badly of her.

"Potter had some emergency Auror thing come up," Draco responded, without really looking up from the floor. "And Granger was going to be over at Hogwarts all day working on something; and Weasley was going with Potter so I was sort of the last resort."

Andromeda nodded, knowing perfectly how busy her grandson's godfather and his friends got. Her own daughter had been the same way.

"I'd rather not wake Teddy right now if you don't mind," she continued.

"No that's perfectly understandable," Draco said, raising his eyes to look back at the sleeping boy huddled under the blanket.

"Would you mind if we just talked?" Andromeda asked hesitantly, her worry increasing as Draco's head turned sharply towards her, his grey eyes full of shock. "We don't have to if you don't want to… I just would like to get to know you a little better," she finished with a small smile, hoping in her heart that he would agree.

Draco sat shocked, wondering why this woman that he had never seen before in his life would want to get to know him. Yes, he was her nephew, but he was nowhere near someone she would want to get to know. However, he felt like he owed it to her for some odd reason; and since the boy he was supposed to take back to the Burrow was sleeping, he figured a few questions wouldn't really hurt.

He turned back to his aunt, who was looking at him somewhat hopefully, but also worried. He nodded and gave her a small smile. She beamed back at him, her eyes twinkling in the way that he remembered his mother's had before things had gotten so dark and despicable.

"So I'm assuming that if you know Harry, you must have attended Hogwarts," she said.

Draco nodded, some of the tension releasing at hearing her question. So far, they were staying on safe ground. Well… as safe as any discussion of his life could be.

"Slytherin?" she asked, a small smirk on her face.

"Yes," he responded, the corners of his lips turning upwards.

"I guessed right then," Andromeda replied, looking satisfied with her answer. "Cissa and I used to make games of guessing what our children would look like and what houses they would be sorted into. I guessed that her children would be sorted into Slytherin." She laughed, a thoughtful look on her face. "I suppose it was rather unfair of me to play like that, seeing as she was quite younger and didn't know yet that almost all of our family has been sorted into Slytherin, dating back centuries. It was still fun though. And she guessed Dora's house right even if she was just joking."

"Who is Dora?" Draco asked, feeling rather idiotic.

"Nymphadora is her full name," Andromeda replied, her heart pinching as she thought about her daughter. "Your mother guessed she would be in Hufflepuff and she was right. Nymphadora was indeed a Hufflepuff, and she went on to work as an Auror and become a member of the Order of the Phoenix."

Draco nodded, suddenly remembering hearing that name tied to Mad Eye Moody's quite often. Also later on it had been linked to his old DADA professor. _They must have tied the knot_ , he rationed as he looked over to the boy in the chair.

"Anyways, enough about me," Andromeda said, cutting into his thoughts. "I want to hear more about you. Did you like being in Slytherin?"

"Yes," Draco admitted, his smile growing slightly bigger as he thought about his joy when he'd been sorted. He'd felt so proud to be in the same house as so many of his ancestors; including his own parents. "I loved it. I felt like I had a home there at Hogwarts. I already knew most of the other Slytherin students, and we had lots of fun. I played on the quidditch team too," he said suddenly, unsure of why he had decided to add that.

"Really?" Andromeda said, surprise lacing her tone. Narcissa had never wanted her children to do something so dangerous. She'd made that decision after they had watched their cousins Sirius and Regulus Black fall from their brooms and get quite beaten up during a rather brutal family game. "What position did you play?" she asked, her interest growing as her nephew answered her questions.

"Seeker," he replied almost immediately. "The best position on the team. I made it on in my second year, although looking back, I'm not sure if I was actually good enough to make it on. I just wanted to beat Potter at everything he did. He was Seeker for Gryffindor, so it only made sense that I be the Slytherin one. I heard that they needed one at the beginning of second year, and so my father bought the whole team Nimbus 2001s and I made it on," he said, his brow furrowing a bit at the memory. That's probably when a grand majority of the Slytherins and everyone else had started hating him; you can't just buy your way into whatever you want.

"That sounds amazing," Andromeda smiled, watching him talk about quidditch. He was so animated when he talked about it. It made her happy to see him find something that wasn't pureblood related to occupy his time. "I always enjoyed going to the quidditch matches when I attended Hogwarts," she said. "Of course I'm sure the teams are much better now, what with all the new brooms."

Draco nodded, wondering if his aunt was actually interested or if she was just being polite.

"What are you up to now?" Andromeda continued. Draco released the breath he had been holding, glad that they were moving away from Hogwarts. Before he could respond, Andromeda gasped quietly. "Oh sweet Merlin! Where are my manners? Are you hungry; or would you like some tea or something else? I can't believe I didn't ask you that earlier…"

"It's alright," Draco reassured her. "Thank you for the offer, but I'm alright."

"Are you sure?" Andromeda asked, worry lining her face. "It's not any trouble if you want something."

"I promise I'm alright," Draco replied, smiling at the older witch.

"Alright," she consented, the worry from her face leaving. "What did I ask you?"

"About what I'm up to now," Draco reminded her, shifting in his seat and resting his left leg over his right.

"Right," Andromeda said with a nod. "Sorry I interrupted. Go ahead."

"You didn't interrupt," Draco said, glancing at his aunt. "It's really not anything that interesting anyways. I uh, sort of invented my own business. It deals with making specific potions for things, with a little bit of alchemy thrown in.. Nothing super fancy."

"Do you get to travel much?" Andromeda asked, her interest piqued. "Since it is an international department."

"I do get to travel every so often," Draco said with a smile. "It's rather interesting to see all the different magical communities and the different things they do, and how their societies work."

"What's your favorite place that you've been?" she asked, her eyes full of excitement.

Draco paused to think for a minute. "Probably America," he finally decided. "They're just so different. They're more relaxed and laid back, but everything is still just as crazy and chaotic as here. They have a society that's somewhat similar to ours, but at the same time, they have their own unique way of doing things. Like they don't have fireplaces to floo to and from," he explained.

"They don't use fireplaces?" Andromeda asked, her head tilted slightly to the right.

 _Just like mother_ , he noted. "No they don't," he said, shaking his head in amazement. "They use doormats. Like the 'Welcome' ones that people put outside their front doors. It's weird. They just stand on the mats, and 'tap their heels three times' or something like that, and then they wind up on someone else's doormat. I think the heel thing comes from some old muggle movie," he added.

"It does," Andromeda said with a laugh. "The Wizard of Oz… Dorothy needed to wear special shoes and to get home, she only had to tap her heels together three times and she'd get there. I guess they took their inspiration from muggles. Except they don't call them muggles there do they?" She asked, looking over at Draco.

"No," Draco replied. "They call them No-Majs. Like no magic I guess. It's a lot more difficult to say than muggle in my opinion."

"It is," Andromeda agreed.

They sat in silence for a moment, then Draco thought of something. "I have a question for you now," he said, looking over at his aunt.

"Sure," she said with a pleasant smile. "Go for it."

"How did you know it was me that was on your doorstep? And how did you know my name? I haven't met you before in my life," he finished, staring at her with his pale eyes.

Andromeda sighed. "That's not entirely true," she said quietly. "I met you when you were just a baby. And it was only for a day."

"How is that possible?" Draco asked, his mind whirling. "As far as I recall, you were disowned and our family was told to never speak to you again."

"That's all correct," Andromeda said, her brown eyes full of sadness. "Mother couldn't stand the thought of one of her 'pure children' being with someone so common as a muggle. So, I was disowned, and isolated from the rest of the family. But Narcissa and I were always close," she said with a sad smile. "She only distanced herself from me because she didn't want the same thing to happen to her. Your mother was the youngest and our mother's favorite child; she didn't want to lose the rest of her family, so she did exactly what they wanted her to, and she didn't speak to me anymore. I read about your parent's wedding in the paper; she never even told me she was engaged, though I figured she was bound to be eventually. A few years after her marriage to your father, she became pregnant with you," she said, smiling at Draco. "She was so thrilled, and so absolutely terrified. Weeks after you were born, your father went on a… trip," she said, avoiding Draco's eyes.

Draco, for his own part, flinched and knew what she must be referring to: his father's activity with the Death Eaters. "Anyways, with your father gone, she got up the courage to invite me over to see her and you for the day. I was over the moon that I'd even gotten mail from her… it's desperately hard to be separated from your family for so long. I loved my husband and daughter more than anything in this world, but I missed my sister's dearly. So Ted took the day off of work to stay with Dora so I could go and see Cissa for the day. It was one of the best days of my life," she admitted. "Your mother was overjoyed to see me again, and I had a wonderful day catching up with her, and meeting you. We talked about our separate families and what had been happening. Your mother confided her worries about your father's involvement in the Death Eaters… and her fears about how that would affect you and your life."

Draco paled considerably at this statement. He'd always known that his mother hadn't ever been comfortable with the Death Eaters and everything that came with that package, but she was so desperately loyal to his father and to him, that she would do anything to keep them together and happy; even if it was something that she didn't agree to. She'd been his worst fear when he'd failed the Dark Lord in his task; the Dark Lord had threatened to kill his whole family if he failed. Leaving the Astronomy Tower that night after not completing his task had been the second worst night of his life. Second only to the night he'd made the fateful decision to join the Death Eaters to make up for his father's mistakes. That night, he'd truly feared for his life, and for the life of his mother, who only ever wanted her family to be together and to be happy. And at that moment, he thought he knew for sure that because of him, that life would be ruined, and stripped from their family forever. He took a shaky breath, and turned back to his aunt, who had stopped talking and was just sitting and looking at him.

"I'm sorry," he started, looking towards the door, knowing that she would kick him out. His mother had always told him how against pureblood ideology her sister was; being a Death Eater was about as bad as a pureblood could go.

"I'm not going to kick you out of my house Draco," Andromeda said softly.

"But I'm one of those… things," he said, training his eyes on the laces of his dress shoes.

Andromeda was silent for a moment, and Draco thought for sure that she had changed her mind about wanting him in her house. But then she spoke.

"I never did agree with the chauvinistic ideals that the rest of my family held," she whispered. "I believed that they made someone hollow inside…. Having no emotion or feeling towards people that they believed were less than them just because of their heritage. People are people; it doesn't matter how 'pure' your blood is. Many muggles, muggle-borns, and half bloods are much better people than most purebloods could ever dream of being. I hated how awful my family was about it; what lengths they took to try and _protect us_ from the muddy witches and wizards of the world who didn't live up to their high and mighty standards. I hated my parents for that, and for a long time after my banishment from the family, I hated my sisters too. I understood finally that they were just doing the only thing they knew how to do, and they were just trying to do what we had always been taught. I didn't really surprise me when Bella joined," she said with a bitter laugh. "She always wanted to be the best of us; trying to impress our parents. She married a high-standing pureblood boy because that's what she was supposed to do. She wanted our parents to see what a good little pureblood child she was. Narcissa was still their favorite though," she said, her voice somewhat hollow. "It didn't matter what Bellatrix did; Cissa always won, even if she didn't try. Bella was desperate to outdo your mother; so she joined the Death Eaters. The biggest 'pureblood' group out there. She thought for sure that would make our parents love her more. Then, at her next meeting, she met your father who had been a member for much longer and was Voldemort's right hand man," she paused as Draco flinched at the use of the Dark Lord's name. She waited for a moment and then continued.

"Bella was furious that again, Cissa had 'beaten' her. She couldn't stand the thought of her younger sister being better than her. So she started out doing herself; becoming the crazed psychopath that everyone knew and feared. And that's what she realized she wanted. People to fear her. It eventually killed her… But she'd taken so many lives that the world felt it was a great victory."

"What about you?" Draco asked quietly. "How do you feel about her death?"

"I'm still not sure," Andromeda admitted. "Sometimes I'm glad that someone was able to rid the world of her cruelty… And other times I remember my older sister who I used to look up to… But it's hard to know how to feel. She killed my daughter you know?" She asked, looking sideways at him.

Draco paled again-even though he was unsure if it was possible to pale more than he already had-and his stomach was considering giving him back the breakfast he had eaten.

"Why would she do that?" He managed to choke out.

Andromeda laughed bitterly. "She didn't ever recognize my daughter as her niece because she wasn't a pureblood. Bella just wanted to rid the world of anything not pure…. And Dora was a complete abomination in her eyes because I was a pureblood and had decided to marry a muggle."

"I'm…. I'm so sorry…" Draco said for the third time that week; second time that day. He really didn't like apologizing and here he was doing it again.

"It's all in the past now," Andromeda said, giving him a reassuring smile. "All we can do is move forward and live our lives to the best of our abilities." Her attention was torn away as Teddy started to stir, his teal colored hair just visible beneath the blanket.

"How was your nap Teddy?" Andromeda smiled, walking over to the armchair.

"Good," the boy smiled with a yawn. "When is Uncle Harry coming over?"

"Uncle Harry is busy today," Andromeda explained. "You're going to go over to the Burrow to wait for him okay?"

"Okay," Teddy replied, his eyes showing his excitement. It was then that he noticed Draco sitting on the couch. "Who's dat?" He asked, turning back to Andromeda.

"That's your cousin Draco," Andromeda said, glancing over at the blond sitting stock still on the couch. "He's my sister's son. Draco is going to take you over to the Burrow today alright? Why don't you go pick out some toys to take with you," she finished, giving the little boy a hug. Teddy ran off, his little feet slapping against the wooden floors as he ran.

"Are you staying at the Burrow?" Andromeda asked, her attention turned back towards her nephew who was looking even more uncomfortable now than he had been before.

"No I'm not," Draco responded, his eyes still trained on the empty hallway the strange little boy had disappeared down. "I think the Weasley girl will be there though, with her mother."

Andromeda nodded, looking thoughtful. Her nephew was obviously uncomfortable around these people; which seemed odd since he said he was working with Harry and those were all people Harry mingled with.

Teddy ran back into the room, his overnight bag and toy bag clutched in his arms. Andromeda laughed as she saw Draco's shocked expression at seeing Teddy, who's hair was now a brilliant shade of purple.

"Wasn't his hair just blue?" he asked, glancing back and forth between her and Teddy.

"Yes it was," Andromeda laughed. "That's the color he likes best, but it changes every so often."

"It changes?" Draco asked, utterly confused.

"He's part Metamorphmagus. Dora was one," Andromeda explained. "He can change his appearance at will, but he doesn't ever change anything but his hair."

"My hair is purple!" Teddy pronounced, his eyes twinkling mischievously. "I can make it green too," he added, and Draco watched as Teddy's hair morphed from the deep purple to a grassy-green color.

"Ta-da!" The boy announced, looking very proud of himself. "Look what I did, look what I did!" he said, hopping excitedly up and down in front of Andromeda.

"Look at you!" she praised, running her fingers through his now green hair. "You're getting so good at that!"

"I've been practicing," Teddy whispered, winking at her before turning and opening his bag so he could put his blanket in.

"Thanks for taking him over to the Burrow," Andromeda said looking at Draco while she helped Teddy zip his bag back up.

"Sure," Draco replied, shrugging his shoulders slightly. "It's not a big deal."

"Well thank you anyways," she said as she walked Draco and Teddy to the door. "I enjoyed talking with you as well Draco. It was nice getting to know you a little better."

"I enjoyed it too actually," Draco said, stiffening slightly as Teddy grabbed his hand.

"Bye Teddy," Andromeda smiled, waving at her grandson who was waving back. "Be good for Molly now alright? And for Uncle Harry."

"I promise!" Teddy beamed, tugging Draco towards the sidewalk.

Draco smiled to himself as he let the overactive child pull him along the sidewalk. Teddy didn't seem so bad; sure the hair thing was odd and rather frightening, but he seemed sweet and an all-around good kid.

"Are we gonna app-paparate to da Burrow?" Teddy asked him, his eyes hopeful.

"Yeah," Draco answered. "We've got to Apparate. It's a bit too far to walk."

"Yay!" Teddy cried, letting go of Draco's hand so we could pump his little fists in the air. "I love app-paparating! We gonna see Uncle Harry soon? He promised he would play quidditch with me," Teddy claimed, walking happily down the sidewalk.

"Um…" Draco said, unsure of how to respond. He wasn't sure when Potter was going to be back, and he wasn't good with kids at all… how was he supposed to answer that question? "Your uncle will be at the Burrow soon," he finally decided. "Then I'm sure he'd be happy to play quidditch with you."

Teddy seemed satisfied with this answer, and he smiled holding up his arms to be picked up. Draco inwardly groaned and bent down to pick up the toddler. Teddy's little hands grasped at his robes and he looked excited. "We gonna app-paparate now?"

Draco nodded and Teddy closed his eyes tightly. Draco sighed and promptly apparated to the Burrow.

"Molly!" Teddy exclaimed as they landed in front of the Burrow.

Mrs. Weasley looked up and saw who it was that had called her name. "Teddy dear!" she said, dropping her gardening tools; giving the now blue haired again toddler a tight hug. "How are you doing dear?" she asked, wiping a smudge of dirt from his face.

"I do great!" Teddy said. "I even packed my own bag see?" he proclaimed, proudly showing her his overnight bag.

"Wow! Look at you," Mrs. Weasley beamed. "You did that all yourself?"

Teddy nodded enthusiastically, looking behind her and breaking into a run as he saw Ginny in the doorway.

"Auntie Ginny!" He cried, jumping into her outstretched arms. "I packed my own bag this time!"

"You did?" Ginny asked, giving him a tight squeeze. "I'm so proud of you! Did you bring your quidditch toys?"

"I did!" Teddy said excitedly, jumping out of her embrace and running over to his toy bag. "I brought boths of my teams! Uncle Harry play with me nows?"

"Uncle Harry isn't back yet," Ginny said apologetically.

"You play quidditch with me?" Teddy asked hopefully. "You can plays with da team dat you want to."

"Alright," Ginny said with a laugh. "Let's go inside and we can play with your toys okay?"

"'Kay!" Teddy responded, picking up his bags and bolting into the house; Ginny following closely behind him.

"Did you want to come in?" Molly asked, turning back towards Draco.

"No thank you," he replied rather stiffly. "I have work to do. I just had to make sure the kid made it here safely."

Molly nodded and watched as he disapparated. _That poor boy_ , she thought to herself as she turned back to her gardening. _Maybe things will change for him._

 _ **A/N: Alrighty! Please read and review and let me know what you thought about this chapter. :) I really enjoyed writing it and I hope that you all enjoyed reading it.**_


	7. Work, Dinner, and Spying

A/N: Thank you all again for reading! As always, I don't own anything and I would love it if you reviewed and shared your opinions!

Work, Dinner, and Maybe a Little Bit of Spying…

It had been exactly one month since Potter had interrupted his perfectly peaceful day to asking him to go and pick up his bloody godson; knowing perfectly well who's house it was, and what that would mean for Draco. It had been a whole sodding month and he still couldn't get his conversation with his aunt out of his brain. Merlin his mother would kill him if she knew; not to mention his father would then dig up his grave and kill him again. Why couldn't he get that bloody conversation out of his head?! It was starting to get in the way of his work. He couldn't concentrate on the files, or the facts or even the meetings he had been attending. Maybe that business trip he was taking starting on Monday would do his brain some good. He sighed as another Ministry message flew into his office and landed on his desk. He grimaced as he saw who it was from. Potter. Sweet Salazar, couldn't that man leave him alone? He folded the note and threw in neatly into the trash; he didn't need more of Potter and his nonsense right now.

He sighed again, mentally noting that he wasn't getting anything accomplished. Draco grumbled to himself as he stood up, gathering different folders from his desk drawers. Maybe if he left the office, he'd be able to get things done. He grabbed his cloak from the hanger, and opened the door, walking leisurely down the hall. It's not like he was in a hurry; he just needed to clear his head. His thoughts still swirling around, he didn't hear someone rushing down the hall until they had rounded the corner and burst into him; sending both parties tumbling to the ground, Draco managing to bang his head on a nearby door handle as he fell. He rubbed the back of his head subconsciously as he looked to see what idiot had knocked him over. _Of course_ , he raged. It had to be Granger. Just who he needed to bump into today. She was frantically trying to organize the files that had been scattered in their collision; her face flushed and her hair going in every direction.

"Merlin Granger. Do you always have to be in such a rush?" He hissed, wincing slightly as the back of his head throbbed.

"No Malfoy, I'm not always in such a rush," she said snippily, putting the papers back into their files. "You however, always seem to be in everyone's way."

"You're the one who ran into _me_ Granger," he growled, picking himself up off of the floor, and brushing invisible dirt off of his robes. "Made my hit my bloody head too."

"Good," Hermione said tersely. "Maybe it will knock some sense into you. If not, at least you'll have the bump as a reminder not to be such a prick," she added, standing and holding tightly to her files. "Do you want your files back Malfoy?"

"No Granger, you can have them," he retorted sarcastically. "Of course I want them back."

She handed the files over, her honey colored eyes never leaving his. "Now if you'll get out of the way, I have somewhere important to be," she said, her snippy tone back.

"Be my guest," he said snarkily, sidestepping his way around her and continuing his journey to the lift. Gods she was annoying. _She'd_ run into _him_ , yet she had the audacity to blame him for being in the way. Something must have gotten her hair into knots; more so than it already was. He looked at the clock in the lift and realized that it was the time he normally left anyways; running into Granger must have wasted more time than he had originally thought. He exited the lift and was walking across the atrium when he heard his name being called by none other than the perfect Chosen One.

"Potter, I'm not doing this now," he hissed, turning to face the bespectacled head of the Auror department.

"Malfoy, you've been avoiding my messages. What if I had to tell you something important?" Harry demanded.

"If it was that important, you would have broken down my door already Potter," Draco said rationally, his face twisted into a cold sneer.

"You still don't know that it isn't important," Harry argued, his temper flaring.

"I'll take my chances," Draco jeered, turning and walking away from the exasperated man.

He walked to the fireplaces and immediately flooed home; his heart dropping when he saw the owl perched outside his door. It was Friday; that meant dinner at his parent's house. Maybe he could claim he was sick to get out of it? No that wouldn't work. _I never get sick.. They'd never believe that story_ , he chastised himself. There really wasn't any excuse for him to not go over to his parent's house, except for the fact that he just didn't want to go. He sighed in defeat; jumping in surprise at the small voice that came from behind him.

"I is sorry to has disturbed you Master...Is Master going to his parent's estate this evening?" the petite house elf asked quietly.

"You didn't disturb me Rillie," he said, straightening his robes. "And yes, I am going tonight, so you needn't prepare dinner."

"Yes Master," Rillie said in a small voice. "Is Master needing anything?"

"No thank you Rillie," he said, striding down the hall of the Manor. He really needed to change before he went to his parent's house.

Rillie nodded, and disappeared with a small pop as Draco ascended the stairs to his room. He entered the spacious area, tossing the files onto the nearest table; discarding his slightly dirty robes as well. He looked in his closet for a moment before selecting a set of freshly purchased charcoal colored robes; throwing them on over his white button up shirt. If he didn't hurry, he'd be late, and then he really would be dead. Tardiness was not something that was praised highly in the Malfoy home. He sighed, giving his reflection a once over in the mirror before heading over to the fireplace; taking a pinch of floo powder and disappearing in a flash of green flame.

He stepped out of the fireplace at his parent's estate, brushing a few soot particles from his new robes and running his fingers through his hair.

"Draco," his mother smiled, entering the room and pulling him into a tight embrace. "You made it."

"I wouldn't miss it for anything in the world mother," he responded, giving her a small smile. Not entirely true, but saying the truth wouldn't get him anywhere.

"Dinner is ready in the dining room if you're ready," his mother offered, placing her small hand on Draco's arm.

He nodded, following Narcissa out of the room, his hands in the pockets of his robes. He liked this house. It was much smaller than the manor, but it still surpassed the size of many other pureblood estates. It had been his family's summer estate while he had been attending Hogwarts, but after he had graduated, his parents had moved out permanently, leaving the manor to him which he wasn't sure if he was comfortable with or not. The manor was his childhood home yes, but it held memories of things he'd much like to forget as well. They entered the dining room and Draco removed his hands from his pockets as he was confronted with his father. They had returned to speaking terms at the end of the previous year, but things were still rather tense between them.

"Draco," Lucius addressed his son cordially. "Glad to see you could make it."

"I wouldn't dream of missing it," Draco replied evenly, repeating a similar phrase to the one he had recited to his mother.

"I hope you're hungry," Narcissa said, her eyes shining with excitement.

Draco looked at his mother, his forehead furrowed with slight confusion. "Your mother has been indulging in a new hobby," Lucius informed him.

Narcissa beamed at her husband before turning her shining gaze back to Draco. "I found it takes my mind off of things… and I rather enjoy it. It's quite a bit like potions in a way."

Draco smiled. Potions had been one of his mother's favorite subjects when she had attended Hogwarts, and it had carried into her married life. It was one of the reasons that the manor had it's own potions lab. His father had created it for his mother on their third wedding anniversary. He was glad that his mother had found something that made her happy again; he'd missed her smile. It had been a prevalent thing during his childhood, but as he grew older, Narcissa's smile had become a rare thing to witness.

"Sit, sit," Narcissa prodded, excited for him to try the meal.

Draco complied and pulled out one of the beechwood chairs, taking a seat. Narcissa smiled at the chair Lucius had pulled out for her; tucking her robes underneath her as she sat. Once Lucius had taken his seat at the head of the table, the meal started. Draco didn't recognize the dish-probably something French, seeing as his mother was fascinated with French culture- but despite not knowing what it was, he rather enjoyed it. She'd even added some French wine to the meal. _Classy_ , he thought, taking a sip of the burgundy liquid.

"How is it?" Narcissa asked, watching her son intently as he finished swallowing.

"Delicious," he replied honestly. "You have a gift mother."

Narcissa beamed, her eyes sparkling with delight. "I'm glad you like it," she said, keeping her excitement contained. "How is work treating you?" she asked, placing her napkin on the side of her plate as she took a sip of her wine.

"It's treating me as well as can be expected," Draco responded, downing the rest of the red beverage.

"Have you done any more travelling?" Narcissa asked hopefully. She loved hearing about the different places her son visited on his business trips.

"Not recently," he replied, noticing the shred of disappointment that flashed through his mother's eyes. "But I am going to the Islands early next week."

"Really?" Narcissa said, her eyes lighting up again. "Oh I've read about them! They sound so lovely; all that sun… and imagine all the interesting plants you could find there. And the ocean. I love the ocean," she trailed.

Draco flinched slightly at his mother's words. After the Second Wizarding War, his family had escaped being sentenced to Azkaban-how he still didn't know-but there had been restrictions put in place. One of said restrictions was that his parents had to remain in the perimeters of Wizarding London; meaning they could no longer travel as his mother had loved to do. It was one of the things he regretted about what had happened to his family. He hated seeing his mother upset.

"So you've been to see your aunt," Narcissa said quietly, her eyes searching Draco's face.

He fought to keep his face impassive, but his disgust won out. "I wish you'd stop doing that mother. It's a blatant disrespect of privacy."

"Draco," Lucius warned, his eyes flashing over the edge of his wine glass.

"No Lucius," Narcissa sighed. "He's right. It is disrespectful… I'm just worried about you," she said turning towards her son. "Call it mother's intuition, but I could tell something was off about you and I knew you would never tell me if I asked…"

"So you just _had_ to enter my brain," Draco said, his eyes flashing with anger.

"Don't take it the wrong way Draco," Narcissa pleaded. "You've just been extremely distant with us, and I just… I wanted to make sure you were alright. And not just the 'alright' that you claim."

"Well now that you know, what are you going to do? Disown me just like you did to your sister?" he hissed, causing his mother to flinch.

"No…" she whispered. "I would never disown you. I should have never have disowned Andromeda then either; but I was young and foolish, and perfectly content to do whatever my parents told me to. I've made many mistakes in my past Draco, but I don't want to tear our family apart any more."

"Glad we're finally owning up to our miserable lives," Draco grumbled, folding his arms over his chest.

"I know you're angry Draco, and some of it is probably from your conversation with Andromeda," Narcissa admitted. "But please don't take it out on us… we're all each other has."

Draco glared at his plate; which disappeared seconds later, much to his annoyance. He was sick of all of this. Absolutely sick. His life was a mess, and had been for a long while, and honestly there wasn't much he could do about it.

"Draco, I'm not going to hate you because you went and talked with Andromeda," Narcissa said gently, tapping her foot quietly against the floor. "I've been considering going and trying to amend things with her myself… I'm just not sure if I can."

Lucius sat at the head of the table, watching the whole interaction without saying a word. His son was obviously agitated, and his wife was trying hard to fix things but with no avail. _Draco was right to be upset_ , he mentally sighed. _Everything was such a mess_.

"Draco listen to me," Narcissa said suddenly, reaching out to grab her son's shoulder. "There's things that we taught you that aren't right… things that we never should have endorsed. We can't take them back now, but that doesn't mean that we don't love you more than anything else in or out of this world."

Draco clenched his jaw, avoiding his mother's eyes. He could feel her anxiously waiting for his response; but he didn't know if he could give her the one she wanted. He finally turned to meet her pale blue eyes with his icy grey ones; he sighed and gave her a small nod. Narcissa smiled, and removed her hand from his shoulder; content with his answer.

"Now," she said, rising from the table, closely followed by Lucius. "I know this was a rather different dinner than we usually have, but I am glad you came. It was so nice to see you Draco."

Draco nodded, allowing his mother to hug him again as he rose from his seat. He shared a small glance with his father as he left the dining room and headed for the nearest fireplace. _Just what he needed. More to think about_ , he grumbled internally as he left the estate in a blur of green flame.

...

"Hey Blaise," Hermione said hesitantly, walking into his office at the Ministry. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure Granger," he replied, setting his quill lightly in the inkwell. "What can I do for you?"

"I just had some questions about the whole 'pureblood' thing…" Hermione said, looking at him hesitantly.

"Sure," he said with a shrug. "Fire away."

"Why isn't your family on the Sacred Twenty-Eight list?" Hermione asked, hoping her question wasn't too pushy.

"Because my family isn't actually all pureblood," Blaise said simply. "We're just considered part of the pureblood loop because of our affiliation with Salazar Slytherin, Voldemort, and openly hating on muggle-borns, half-bloods and muggles."

"That doesn't make sense," Hermione said, somewhat to herself. "You aren't pureblood yourself, yet you terrorize those who don't have pure blood."

"Terroriz _ed_ ," Blaise said with emphasis on the past tense. "That was a long time ago Granger. Does it look like I have any problems with non purebloods now?"

"No," Hermione admitted, blushing slightly. "Sorry, I just-"

"Granger," Blaise interrupted. "You don't need to apologize. It was a simple question; a simple reaction. It's not a big deal."

Hermione nodded, biting on her lower lip.

"What else did you want to ask me?" Blaise asked, an easy smirk playing on his lips.

"Who said anything about me wanting to ask you anything else?" Hermione replied teasingly.

"Oh come on Granger," Blaise snorted. "It's you. Of course you have more questions."

"That's not fair!" Hermione exclaimed. "I don't _always_ have more than one question."

"More often than not," Blaise smirked. "Continue."

Hermione attempted to glare at him, but just ended up laughing instead. "Alright you win. I did have another question, but this one is much more serious."

"Shoot," Blaise said, feigning panic. "Merlin forbid I be serious for a little while."

"Seriously Blaise," Hermione scoffed. "You're such a drama queen."

"Thank you," Blaise responded, his face completely serious. "Now continue."

` Hermione rolled her eyes, but did as he requested. "Alright, I was doing some research on pureblood families while I was at Hogwarts, and I didn't really find anything. However I did think of something that could be our answer."

"Okaaay," Blaise said, looking at her with a blank expression. "So what's the big reveal?"

"Do you think it would be possible for this recent Death Eater activity to be… you know, the work of the children?"

Blaise snorted again. "Yes Granger. Children can cast the Dark Mark in the sky, and kill a family of four people."

Hermione groaned. "That's not what I meant and you know it," she accused. "I'm talking about the children of Death Eaters. The kids who maybe didn't ever join… but now are feeling the need for revenge? They could be feeling an urge to get out some anger over their parent's sentences or deaths or something…. Do you think that's a possibility?"

Blaise said nothing for a moment; his chin resting in his hands, and a pensive look on his face. Finally he nodded slowly. "Yeah, that could be something. Don't know if it's what actually happened, but there could definitely be youth out there feeling like that. Even people my age."

Hermione nodded, scribbling something down in a notebook. "So how could we figure out if these kids are feeling like that, or even acting on those feelings? They aren't exactly going to proclaim it to the world…"

"No," Blaise admitted, his eyes lighting with an idea. "But they might let something slip when they happen to be… inebriated."

...

"Why am I here again?" Draco asked, staring moodily out the window.

"I told you already Drake," Blaise answered, "We're going to that 'underground pureblood' club. We're going undercover in a way."

"Except that we won't really be undercover," Pansy added, looking at her reflection in the mirror; applying more lipstick as she went.

"We're going to try and see if we can spot any… Death Eater like activity among the crazy young adults of our society," Blaise said, smirking as they rounded the corner of the street.

"I don't see why I have to be here," Draco grumbled.

"People recognize you better than us," Pansy replied. "They might be more able to let something slip around you."

"Thanks," Draco sneered. "Glad to know I'm still known as a shady character."

"Oh relax Draco," Blaise laughed. "Besides, you love getting wasted."

"He does not," Pansy argued, hitting Blaise on the arm. "That was once, and as I recall, you were tanked too."

That shut Blaise up and they walked in silence for a moment before Blaise turned down into a dark alleyway.

"Well this doesn't look suspicious," Pansy commented, walking a little closer to Blaise. "Besides, I don't see any big neon club signs around here."

"That's the point Pansy," Blaise said, stopping in front of an old 'maintenance' door. "It's supposed to be an underground operation."

He tapped his wand on the door, muttering a password that the duo behind him couldn't hear. Immediately the door swung open; loud, bass-boosted music filling the small alley.

"Ladies first," Blaise teased, offering the doorway to Pansy.

"That means you Draco," Pansy blurted, pushing him through the door; watching as he stumbled into the room.

"What?" she defended, as Blaise gave her an exasperated look. "There was no way in Salazar's inheritance I was going through that door first."

"Merlin Pansy, you're acting like a Hufflepuff," Blaise accused, pushing her towards the door.

"I am not!" she exclaimed indignantly, stomping through the door.

Blaise grinned and followed her in, shutting the door soundly behind them. He smiled as the full effects of the room hit him over the head. Wizard clubs were much different from muggle clubs. The music only reached certain parts of the room; specifically the door and the dance floor. Those areas had the pounding music that you could feel rattle your bones and resonate in your core. There were card tables were brutal matches of exploding snap and wizards chess were played; usually with major losses in galleons and fortunes for the young wizards and witches that loved to waste their parents' inheritances. Lastly were the bars. They lined almost the entire room; their cushioned seats filled with witches and wizards who were perfectly content to let the whole night slip through their memory.

"Hey will you stop ogling that witch and tell me what I'm supposed to be doing again?" Pansy hissed, hitting him upside his head with the flat of her palm.

"I'm not ogling," he defended, swatting her hand away. "I'm basking in the surroundings of a place I don't get to go often."

"Whatever," Pansy muttered, running her fingers through her short brown curls. "What am I supposed to do?"

"Spice up your feminine charm Pans," Draco murmured from behind her. "Get people to talk to you."

"Specifically drunk people," Blaise mentioned. "They talk easier."

"I don't know any of these people," Pansy whispered, looking around the dimly lit room. "I can't just talk to people I don't know!"

"You'll find it's much easier than would think," Draco said, putting his hands in the pockets of his grey trousers. "Also, if you ever do that to me again, I will hex you."

"Fine," Pansy hissed, obviously frazzled. "What are you two going to be doing?"

"Same thing as you," Blaise said, smirking at a blonde that winked at him as she walked by.

"You know… just without the whole feminine charm," Draco smirked, earning himself a well-placed face smack from Pansy.

"Fine, well if I get hit on by any creeps tonight, you both are going to pay BIG time," Pansy hissed, adjusting her black dress.

Blaise chuckled to himself as he watched Pansy trail away; his eyes lingering on her retreating form.

"Seriously mate," Draco groaned. "When were you planning on telling me that you're head over heels for her?"

Blaise snorted. "I don't know what you're talking about. You know that me, you and Pansy are like siblings."

"And obviously at one point, that 'sibling' relationship developed into something more," Draco said quietly, his grey eyes blank as he stared at Blaise.

"Whatever you say Drake," Blaise laughed, walking over to the wizard's chess table, leaving Draco to his own devices among the games, people and drinks.

That's where Blaise found him and Pansy later that evening. Sitting comfortably at the bar; drinking and talking. Blaise sighed and walked over, interrupting their pleasant evening.

"We're leaving," he said briskly, taking Pansy's glass out of her hand; oblivious to her protests.

"I thought you were the one who was so over-enthusiastic to be here tonight," Draco responded into his glass.

"I was ready to find the information that we needed," Blaise replied, finishing the contents of the glass he had taken from Pansy. "And now that I have, _we_ are leaving. Now."

"Come on Blaise," Pansy whined, glaring at him through her dark brown lashes. "Yeah we got the information I guess, but can't we just stay and enjoy ourselves? We came all this way and I don't want to waste it because you got your pants in a twist."

"It's not just my pants that will be in a twist," Blaise hissed, grabbing her elbow. "Have you seen anyone suspicious tonight Pansy?"

"Blaise, I think you've had a bit too much to drink," Pansy protested, yanking her arm from his grip. " _Everyone_ here looks suspicious."

"Blaise, you need to calm down," Draco agreed, setting his empty glass on the table. "Whatever set you off is probably not a big deal."

"Not a big deal?" Blaise asked, grabbing Draco's jacket. "Tell me Draco. Who do you see sitting over there on the maroon couch?"

Draco sighed heavily, turning to appease his obviously confused friend. He scanned the room; his eyes pausing when he figured out what Blaise had been on about. There, on the couch sat a fiery redhead, talking to someone who could prove to be very dangerous.


	8. Suspicions AriseDead Ones

A/N: I know I promised earlier that I wouldn't do an author note every chapter, but I don't want to be sued for "stealing someone else's ideas" so here we are. I don't own any of this. It is all the creation of the wonderful J.K. Rowling. Please review!

Suspicions Arise… Dead Ones

"Potter!" Blaise fumed, storming into Grimmauld place. "Potter, wherever you are you'd better get out here now!"

Draco sighed, rubbing his hand over his eyes and wishing vainly that he was home instead of here; about to deal with Potter, all the while having a monumental migraine. Pansy followed silently behind him; keeping her eyes trained on Blaise as he paced furiously in front of the fireplace.

"He doesn't have to be this upset," she whispered, taking a seat on the couch.

"Blaise has this awful thing called a conscience Pansy," Draco murmured, sitting down besides her. "And he let's it rule his emotions too much. Even if the people concerned don't deserve an ounce of his consideration."

They both looked up as they heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Harry entered the room moments after, his face showing signs of surprise.

"How did things go at the club?" He asked, looking between the three Slytherins.

"Shouldn't you already know Potter?" Blaise asked, anger seeping through his voice.

"How in Godric's name would I know?" Harry asked, looking at the other man. "I've been here the entire night, looking over MLE files with Ron."

"And where was your wife Potter? Can she claim she was here all night?"

"I have no control over what my wife does Mr. Zabini," Harry replied, glancing into the entryway.

"Why did you send her to the club Potter?" Pansy interrupted, shooting a sharp glance at Blaise to silence him.

"Who said anything about sending Ginny to the club?" Harry asked, looking rather tense. "The Harpies often mingle at the clubs in the area. It doesn't mean anything that she was there tonight."

"Don't be ridiculous Potter," Draco jumped in. "It's obvious that she was there to make sure we did what we were supposed to do."

"Alright, fine. We sent Ginny to the club to make sure nothing bad happened," Harry said, sighing in defeat. "It was Arthur's idea. We just wanted to make sure-"

"You don't trust us," Pansy said firmly, a twinge of pain in her words.

"How could he Pans?" Blaise hissed. "He has every reason not to."

"So you three are upset because we sent someone to watch your backs?" Harry asked with disbelief. "That's unbelievable."

"That's not why Potter," Pansy murmured quietly. "It's who your wife was talking to that worries us."

"So who was she talking to?" Harry asked. "She know's loads of people guys."

"Theo. Theodore Nott," Blaise said quickly. "I don't know if she realized it or not."

"What's so bad about Theo?" Harry said, looking utterly confused.

"Of all the people we talked to tonight, Theo was one of the only ones who was furious over what happened to the Death Eaters and such during the War," Pansy explained. "He's one of the ones that said that if he had a chance to get revenge; he would. You can't let Ginny just talk to people like that. She's out there…. She's _known_. If someone wanted to get to you, they would have the perfect opportunity with Ginny."

"So it doesn't matter if you talk to them," Harry said, one eyebrow quirked.

"No it doesn't," Blaise stated. "We…. we are known as being shady and… untrustworthy just because we were in Slytherin and we're pureblood. People don't think twice about us asking things, or being seen somewhere shifty. If you care about your wife at all, you will not send her after us again understand Potter? You can trust us. We're doing everything by your book."

"Alright," Harry said finally. "Did you learn anything else?"

"No," Blaise answered. "The thing with Theo was all that we found. People seem happy with what happened and what's going on in the world."

"That sounds suspiciously like good news," Hermione quipped, coming down the stairs and heading to the kitchen.

Pansy's brow furrowed as Hermione's bushy hair disappeared around the corner into the kitchen. "Is she always that sarcastic?"

"Yes actually," Harry answered with a smile. "It's rather funny."

"Whatever you say…" Pansy said slowly.

"Well if you're done giving the report," Draco said, suddenly getting up from his seat. "I would like to be going."

"Sure," Harry replied. "Thanks for the update…."

"Sorry it wasn't more helpful," Pansy offered, standing to join Draco and Blaise.

"No it was plenty helpful," Harry reassured. "It may come in handy later on. Or possibly sooner. You never know."

Pansy and Blaise nodded, following Draco out of the room as he headed for the door. Harry followed for a moment, and shut the door quietly behind them. Once the door was shut Hermione emerged from the kitchen, a cup of tea in her hands.

"What was that about?"

"Nothing really," Harry sighed, flopping down on the couch. "They didn't find anything really useful at the moment…. Although they did see Ginny."

"Good," Hermione said, sitting down next to him. "Then they know that we're watching and that we don't completely trust them. I think it's good they saw her."

Harry sighed again; removing his glasses and cleaning them on his shirt. "I do trust them though…. I mean, they don't have to be doing this for us. Granted, they're rather hesitant sometimes, but still. They could be letting us just figure it out on our own and they're not. And so far I think they've proved themselves."

Hermione snorted lightly into her cup. "Sure Harry."

"Well, at least we have more help so we don't have to do everything ourselves," Harry pointed out. "It should be easier this time."

"I do agree with that part," Hermione nodded, finishing off her tea. "It's too bad going to Hogwarts wasn't more useful."

"Don't worry about it Hermione," Harry said. "Sometimes we can't find everything in a book. Maybe this time we just have to go for it."

Hermione nodded, getting up and putting her cup on the small side table. "I know…. I just feel more confident when someone else wrote it down first you know?" Harry nodded, as Hermione yawned.

"Go home Hermione," Harry suggested. "There isn't anything more we can do tonight. Go home and rest. You aren't able to function if you don't sleep."

"Okay okay," Hermione said through more yawns. "You don't have to try and convince me. I was going to go anyways…. I'll be back tomorrow."

"Alright Hermione," Harry said gently. "Go home. We can work more tomorrow."

Hermione nodded, taking a pinch of powder from the pot by the fireplace; disappearing in a soft puff of green flame.

...

"What are you doing?"

Hermione glanced up from her book; her eyes widening when she saw who her visitor was. "Reading." she answered simply.

"Yes I can see that," Draco sighed exasperatedly. "What are you reading?"

"Just a history book on pureblood ancestry and traditions," Hermione said, her eyes returning to the page.

"I'm sure that's beyond interesting," he scoffed. "Did you want anything to eat?"

"Are you actually being nice to me and offering me food so I don't starve?" Hermione commented drily. "Awe the little itty bitty Slytherin actually cares about me…."

"I _don't_ particularly care Granger," Draco said, scanning the book titles on the nearby shelf. "Potter's wife is cooking and told me to come ask you if you wanted anything. I wouldn't be up here otherwise."

"Wonderful," Hermione muttered under her breath. "You can tell her I'll be down in a minute," she said louder this time so he could hear.

Draco didn't say anything, just pulled a book from off the shelf. "What is this?"

Hermione glanced up to see what book he had pulled off. _Events of the American Civil Rights Movement_. She smiled to herself; and closed the book in front of her. "It's a book I got for Harry on his birthday a couple of years ago. I don't think he ever read it… You can read it though. You might actually like it."

He looked at it for a few moments before putting it back on the bookcase. "Make sure you're down in a moment," he called behind his shoulder as he left. "Potter's wife will kill me otherwise, and I'd rather not die on your account."

"Glad to see you have a heart," Hermione said sarcastically, putting her book down to follow him out of the room.

"Is she coming?" Ginny asked as Draco walked by the kitchen.

He rolled his eyes and paused in the doorway, glancing at the fiery redhead. "I'm not going to grace that with an answer," he finally said, disappearing as the bushy haired woman rounded the corner.

"I'm here," Hermione reassured Ginny, shooting Draco a sharp look. "It's a good thing too. I never really think about food when I'm researching."

"I know," Ginny smiled. "That's what I'm here for. To make sure you don't starve to death."

"Of all the ways to go, I would much rather not starve," Hermione laughed taking a seat at the counter, and accepting the plate of food that Ginny offered her.

Draco for his part, had continued past the kitchen to enter the sitting room where Blaise and Pansy were already seated, scribbling on long scrolls of parchment.

"That took you much much longer than expected," Blaise commented without looking up.

"That's because Granger is a total prick who likes to make life difficult for everyone else," Draco countered, picking up a quill. "Which ones have you finished?"

"Those ones on the left," Pansy answered, pointing to a pile of scrolls piled on the couch.

Draco nodded, taking one off the pile and scanning it before adding a few lines at the bottom.

"When are you leaving?" Pansy asked, breaking the small silence.

"In approximately three hours," Draco replied, glancing at the watch on his wrist. "And before you ask; I get back on Sunday, which is two days from now. Anything else? Oh wait. I'm going to Belgium. That should answer all your questions."

Pansy glared at him, but he could see the smile behind her anger. He smirked in her direction before turning back to the stack of parchments and selecting another roll.

Exactly two and three quarters of an hour later Draco was gone, the stack of parchments was lying completed on the coffee table, and two remaining Slytherins were slouched on the couch, bits of ink dotting their hands and wrists. They both jumped as Hermione rushed into the room; her hair going everywhere and her robes half-buttoned.

"We have to go," she said is a rush of breath. "Can you guys come?"

"Of course," Blaise replied immediately, standing and grabbing his wand from the coffee table.

"What happened?" Pansy asked, grabbing her wand and following Hermione from the room.

"Katie flooed us from St. Mungo's where she works," Hermione said as they rushed out of Grimmauld Place. "Someone's house was attacked a few moments ago, and they're on the way right now. They're trying to keep it under the radar, but Katie needs us all there to figure this out."

"Where's Potter?" Blaise questioned as they hurried down the street.

"He and Ron flooed to St. Mungo's as soon as they heard," Hermione explained as they neared the end of the street. "The rest of the Order is either there or on the way. This is far enough," she said as they came to a halt. "We can apparate from here without muggles seeing."

Blaise and Pansy nodded; then all at once, the three disappeared with little pops, reappearing in the white-tile entryway of St. Mungo's. Hermione hurried over to talk to the receptionist, who gave her a few directions, pointing down the right hallway. Hermione thanked the young witch, and the three rushed down the hall to the room Katie was supposed to be in. Pansy opened the sleek metal door, and they were immediately greeted with chaos. Order members were rushing around the room; Katie was giving instructions, and everyone seemed to be in a panic.

"Katie!" Hermione exclaimed, pushing her way into the room. "What's going on?"

"Hermione," Katie sighed, relief flooding her face. "Merlin I'm glad you're here. Turns out the house that was attacked was Neville and Hannah's. It was really early this morning, and I don't think it's going to get out. Kingsley was here earlier and talked it over with the staff, and he's going to make sure it's not going to hit the public."

"Are they alright?" Hermione asked, her wand still clutched tightly in her hand.

"I think they will be," Katie reassured her. "I have people in here making sure everything gets done… I looked at them earlier, and nothing seemed too serious. A few broken bones, a some jinx and hex marks, and a slight Cruciatus Curse residue, but it was all pretty fixable. They'll need some time to recover, but I don't think there was any lasting damage."

Hermione let out the breath she didn't know she'd been holding at the conclusion of Katie's explanation. They were going to be okay. That was more reassurance than anything else.

"Hermione…." Katie said slowly. "There was something else I wanted to talk to you about… but I don't think here is a good place. Can we go to my office?"

Hermione nodded, and followed Katie from the bustling room and down the hall to the offices. Katie flicked her wand at the white frosted door with rose-gold letters; Healer Bell. They walked into Katie's office, and Hermione took a seat next to the window; her shoulders slumping slightly as she sat. Katie shut the door firmly, waving her wand over the door to make sure no one heard them talking. She turned around; her shoulders squared as she sat down in her chair, tucking her robes underneath her legs.

"Hermione, I might sound crazy when I say this, but…. I just have this gut feeling," she said, looking hesitantly at Hermione.

"Katie, you never sound crazy," Hermione reassured her. "Besides, with everything going on, it would be pretty hard to actually convince me that you're crazy. I want to hear what you think."

"Alright," Katie said, taking a deep breath. "I think Bellatrix is the one who attacked Neville and Hannah's house."

"Bellatrix," Hermione repeated, her face blank. "Katie…..Bellatrix is dead. Molly killed her during the Battle of Hogwarts. There really isn't a way that any like that is possible."

"I know it sounds absolutely absurd," Katie said, looking somewhat doubtful. "But Lee was one of the ones who went over to their house once we heard, and what he saw really sets my theory in stone."

"What did Lee see?" Hermione asked, feeling rather doubtful and silly for even entertaining the idea of Bellatrix being alive.

"You know Bellatrix was the one who drove Neville's parents into insanity? Well there was a note on the wall, written in blood Lee assumes, that said 'mummy and daddy's crazy little boy.' You know Bellatrix is one to do insane things. And killing the entire Greengrass family seems a lot like something she would do."

"Katie…" Hermione trailed. "All Death Eaters are extremely violent. This doesn't mean that Bellatrix is back."

"Maybe you're right," Katie whispered. "Maybe I'm just working too much on an overtired brain."

"Katie, you know I respect you and your opinion… but this is a little outrageous," Hermione said softly. "It is undoubtedly Death Eaters that did this, but I don't think it's Bellatrix. There really isn't…." Hermione seemed scrambled and she floundered to find the right words without hurting her friend. "I just… I don't think there's a possible way for this to be the work of Bellatrix herself. Maybe someone is working in her name and doing things the way she did, but…."

"Hermione it's alright," Katie interrupted with a small smile. "You don't have to try and make me… feel better about it. I knew it was a crazy thought. Thank you for listening to me at least."

Hermione nodded, and both young witches headed out of the office and back to the now less crowded hospital room. Neville and Hannah lay on adjoining hospital beds; their peaceful faces contrasting the heavy cloud that floated over the room. Few people were left in the room now; and Blaise headed over as soon as he saw her.

"Gods Hermione, where did you go?" he asked, worry lining his voice. "You disappeared as soon as we got here and no one knew where you'd gone…"

"I didn't mean to worry anyone," Hermione replied worriedly. "Katie just wanted to talk to me in private."

Blaise nodded, seeming satisfied with her answer. "I know you probably want to make sure your friends are alright, but can I talk to you really quick sometime tonight?"

Hermione nodded, looking over her shoulder at the small crowd still in the room. "I can talk now if you want. We'll probably be here for most of the night."

The corner of his mouth turned up slightly, and they walked to a uninhabited corner of the room. "Hermione…. I don't want you to take this the wrong way or anything if I tell you this," he started, his gaze firm and unblinking.

"Blaise, I promise I'm not going to take it the wrong way. I'm just going to listen to what you have to say," Hermione reassured him, gently placing her hand on his arm.

He stood still for a moment, searching her eyes as if to read her thoughts before he continued. "What happened tonight and to the Greengrass family is all uniform to one person. Bellatrix is the only person who would leave marks like that in a time like this."

Hermione's shoulders slouched slightly and her brows furrowed as she looked at her friend. "You too? Godric, what are you all drinking? Katie said the exact same thing earlier and I'll tell you what I told her. Bellatrix is _dead._ I don't know if you knew that, but she is. She died in the Battle of Hogwarts, at the hands of Molly Weasley. _There is no possible way_ that she could be doing this Blaise. Maybe someone is doing it in her name, but it's not her."

"Hermione I know you think I'm crazy, but I'm telling you it has to be her," Blaise insisted.

"Blaise…. I know we all want to find someone to blame for all of this and trust me, we will find someone. It's one of the remaining Death Eaters; but it is NOT one who is already dead."

Blaise looked at her for a few moments before giving her a slight nod and exiting the room without another word. Hermione watched him leave before turning back to her friends; hoping she could find some way to help.


	9. Prejudice Amidst the Mistletoe

A/N: This author note is a bit different. Yes, everything still belongs to Miss Rowling, and I would DIE OF HAPPINESS if you reviewed, but there's something else this time. I have included a slightly adjusted quote from the song _Can't Be Tamed_ by Miley Cyrus. The line from the song is "Well I'm not a trick you play, I'm wired the different way. I'm not a mistake, I'm not a fake. It's set in my DNA." What I say in this chapter is I am not a mistake and I am _not_ a fake. Magic is set in my DNA as much as it is in yours. Your blood isn't any dirtier than mine. So it is relatively the same, but my own little twist on it. Still, all the rights ownership of that song and its lyrics belong to Miley Cyrus and her production company and label record.

Prejudice Amidst the Mistletoe

Weeks after the attack on Neville and Hannah's home, Hermione, Blaise, Pansy and Katie were at Grimmauld Place making lists and researching as they had been doing since the deaths of the Greengrass family. It was late, and they'd been there all day-with the exception of Katie, who had to check in at work- and Hermione's eyes were bugging her to an extreme extent. After finishing the list of known ancient 'gifted' artifacts that she could find, Hermione stood and made her way to the kitchen to get something to drink. Rounding the corner, she removed a cup from the cupboards, putting in hot water and a tea bag. Leaving it on the counter, she turned to get a slice of banana bread from the table when she saw that she was not alone in the small room. Stifling a scream, she put her hands to her mouth and tried to calm her breathing; the figure at the table didn't move a muscle, but turned their liquid silver gaze on her.

"Godric Malfoy," Hermione said, her breathing still a bit erratic. "What in Merlin's name are you doing here?"

"Blaise asked me to come, but that's none of your business," he answered simply, closing the book he'd been holding. "Bit jumpy though aren't we?"

"Well I wasn't exactly expecting someone to be in here," Hermione said defensively. Her interest piquing, she leaned forward to see what book Draco had been reading. It was the book she'd given Harry. "Did you like the book?"

"No. I didn't like it actually," he replied, his cold gaze making her feel uncomfortable.

She turned back to the counter to get her tea before answering. "Why not?"

"It's a muggle book for one," he started, causing her to roll her toffee colored eyes. "Second, it's absolutely ridiculous. Muggles judging and fighting other muggles because of something that they can't change about themselves."

Hermione turned back towards him. "Sound like something our world has a problem with?" she asked, taking a sip of her piping hot tea.

"No Granger it doesn't," he replied coldly. "And I'm not dumb enough to miss what you're trying to do. You wanted me to read this awful book so I could find 'parallels' to what you think is wrong with this world and age. It isn't going to work, seeing as there aren't any parallels."

"You really don't see the parallels?" Hermione questioned, holding his gaze.

"I see the parallels that _you_ think I should see," he answered. "I can see that you want me to make the connection between the Caucasian muggles and the African American muggles and purebloods and muggleborns, but I'm only going to say this once so you'd better listen. None of that has any relation to what is happening here. In your silly book, people were being downtrodden for things they had no control over."

"And that's not what's happening here?" Hermione asked, feeling a spike of anger running through her chest. "You think those African Americans were being judged for something they couldn't control like skin tone? So you think blood is something that someone can control? I have as much control over my blood as they had the color of their skin Malfoy."

"People had the chance to keep their blood pure Granger," he said icily. "If witches and wizards had just stayed with their own kind instead of mingling with muggles, the whole wizarding world would be pure and it wouldn't have any links to the muggle world. There was some amount of control once upon a time, and there still is some. Pureblood wizards and witches can still choose to remain pure."

Hermione stared at him, her cheeks turning slightly pink in anger. "I can't believe it. You still think you're better than I am just because of your blood," she stated.

He nodded, sliding the book across the table towards her as he stood.

"That's ridiculous Malfoy," she hissed. "You have nothing to prove with that thought. I'm better than you in everything I've ever done. I beat you in every single one of our classes, I outscored you on all of our tests, I befriended people when all you did was tear them down, I helped defeat Voldemort when you decided to join the slimy coward and be the worst human imaginable. So tell me Malfoy, how can you still be better than me if you've done everything wrong, yet your blood is 'pure'? Blood purity has nothing to do with anything and you know it."

The muscles in his jaw tightened and he placed his hands casually on the counter. "Granger, you're just confused. Yes, you may be intelligent, but what self-respecting pureblood would ever work for or with you? How are you going to make it anywhere in this world if you can never progress. Ninety percent of the Wizengamot and the Ministry council are pureblood. You really think they'll let you have a high power position with your status? Give it up Granger. You're fighting a useless battle."

Hermione saw movement out of the corner of her eye and realized that their conversation must have led the others into the kitchen, but she didn't care. At the moment, all she could think of was how angry she was; the edges of her vision were tinted red. "Malfoy you aren't better than me just because of your blood! You're a stuck up, spoiled brat who never learned the difference between right and wrong."

"Tell me Granger," Draco said wickedly. "Why do you work so hard? Feel like you have something to prove? Let me enlighten you. You work so hard because you are afraid. You're afraid that if you don't work hard enough, if you're not perfect, that you'll lose your magic somehow, and that you'll be stuck like you were before you got your wand and learned about Hogwarts. That's why you holed yourself up in your high and mighty library studying your heart out. You felt the need to be perfect in everything because deep down you know that you don't deserve to be in this world. You don't deserve to be around magic."

Hermione's throat closed momentarily, and she forgot how to use her voice. She let out a scream of frustration, bringing her cup down harshly against the counter-top; shards of the glass embedding themselves into her hand. "You are scum Malfoy," she growled through clenched teeth, clutching her bleeding hand. The doorway occupants stood shocked, unsure of whether to intervene or let the duo finish their row. At his self-confident smirk, Hermione's eyes blazed and she looked angry enough to kill. Gritting her teeth, she looked at her bleeding hand, a wicked gleam suddenly flashing through her eyes. Hermione clutched a large shard of broken glass in her good hand, reaching out and grabbing Draco's arm with her other hand; her blood staining his pale skin.

"Granger-" he started angrily, attempting to struggle out of her grip. Her eyes flashed again as she brought the glass sharply across his palm, watching as blood gushed from the deep incision. Draco and the doorway viewers were shocked into silence by Hermione's sudden violence; none of them quite sure what to do.

"Look," she hissed, holding his bleeding palm up for him to see, placing her injured hand alongside his. "What difference do you see? _What difference_ Malfoy? I am not a mistake and I am _not_ a fake. Magic is set in my DNA as much as it is in yours. Your blood isn't any dirtier than mine," she finished, harshly shoving his hand out of the way, and angrily leaving the room. Draco stood in stunned silence in his place, his eyes glued to the blood gushing from his hand, and the other blood staining his arm. He tore his gaze away from his hand, and walked from the kitchen; leaving through the gap in the observers that Hermione had made on her way out. Once outside the house, he promptly disapparated, silently vowing to never return to number 12 Grimmauld Place.

...

Draco, Pansy and Blaise didn't come to help with research the next night, leaving Hermione and Katie to do it on their own; they were left to themselves the next night as well. Hermione was positive they had abandoned ship after her explosion, and she couldn't blame them one bit. Three nights after her and Draco's argument, Pansy returned, giving Hermione and Katie a small smile as she sat down to help with the paperwork.

"Pansy…" Hermione said softly, putting her quill down.

"Hermione, you don't have to say anything," Pansy smiled sadly. "I don't need you to apologize, and I certainly understand why it all happened. He was awful to you; we have all been awful to you, and this was just one of the breaking points. Like when you punched him in third year."

Hermione laughed quietly. "I'd forgotten about that. It seems so trivial now."

"Hey, it was certainly entertaining for me. He complained about it the whole night. Rather dramatically I might add. It was quite the show," Pansy reminisced.

"Where's Blaise?" Katie asked, putting down her quill and massaging her hand. "We could use some more hands."

"He might be here later," Pansy replied with a shrug. "He's tying up some loose ends at work, and it's been taking up quite a bit of time." Seeing Hermione suddenly look back down at her paper, Pansy continued. "Draco is in South America on business. He's helping fix some things at Castelobruxo, the wizarding school down there. I think he'll be gone until around Christmas."

Hermione nodded, her mind whirling. Christmas was next month. She had a whole month to think about how to apologize to him; and even then, she might not be able to. Maybe the Christmas holiday's would put him in a good mood…. Or at least a _better_ mood.

...

Sure enough, Christmas came much quicker than Hermione would have liked. Molly had invited everyone over to the Burrow for dinner and festive activities that evening. Everyone was going including-according to Pansy-Draco. Hermione was nowhere near ready to face him and apologize, but she knew that this was the best time. The evening was fabulous. Molly had absolutely outdone herself with the cooking. There was the largest ham Hermione had ever seen, bunches of heavily buttered and seasoned potatoes, steaming broccoli covered in gooey cheese, thick airy dinner rolls, and an enormous cherry pie. Fred and George had decorated the whole house with long strands of garland and tinsel, charming candles and Christmas lights to drift along the railings and above them on the ceiling. The tree in the family room stood as high as it could, and the edges touched both sides of the room; the red and gold ornaments contrasting beautifully with the emerald hues of the pine tree.

"Hey Ronnie!" a voice said loudly, knocking Hermione out of her reverie. She looked up just in time to witness a large package flying across the table and barrelling into Ron's stomach, knocking him off of his chair and onto the floor.

"That was the best bloody shot EVER," Fred laughed as he congratulated George on his fantastic aim. Charlie laughed loudly, Arthur chuckled, and Bill rolled his eyes even though an amused grin still stole it's way across his face as the twins celebrated.

"Hey George!" Ginny called over the laughter. George looked up in time to get a faceful of mashed potatoes; the buttery clumps sticking slightly in his amber hair.

"Karma!" Fred exclaimed, laughing even harder before he was hit in the face with a dollop of potatoes as well.

"Karma is right," Charlie laughed, ducking as a heap of potatoes flew his way. "Gotta try harder sis. I have tons of dodging experience under my belt."

Ginny scrunched up her nose, glaring good-naturedly at her older brother, digging the spoon back into the potatoes.

"Ginevra Weasley, put those potatoes down and I had better not see any other food flying around the room," Molly threatened as she entered the room, a platter of fresh rolls in her hands.

Ginny put the full spoon back into the bowl, smiling at Fred and George who were still covered in potatoes. Harry was biting back laughter so Molly wouldn't turn on him, and Ron was looking warily at Ginny and the twins, wondering if they had any other surprise weapons hidden to throw. Hermione beamed, feeling happier and happier as the evening progressed. She looked around the table, revelling in the happiness that radiated around the room. Katie and Angelina were making miniature quidditch pitch replicas out of the vegetables on their plates, Charlie was telling stories of his dragon adventures to Victoire, who sat between Bill and Fleur, her eyes pinned excitedly on Charlie as he spun his tale. Teddy was entertaining Neville and Hannah with his ever-changing hair, while Andromeda talked happily with Luna next to them. Lee Jordan and the twins were talking about the shop; planning what kinds of tricks they would sell for the new year. Dean, Percy and Arthur were talking about muggles and America, seeing as Percy had just gotten back. Harry and Ginny were talking with Molly and Fleur about the holidays, and Hermione was content to just sit and watch them all; loving the feeling that floated through the air. The feeling was slightly dampened when she looked to the one end of the table she hadn't observed yet, only to find it occupied by the people who seemed somewhat distant and out of place in a strange way. Pansy seemed happy enough; her cheeks were flushed from laughing, and her dark brown curls fell just to her chin, bouncing as she talked and laughed with the other two Slytherins. Blaise sat to Pansy's right, one arm draped over the back of her chair and one holding a glass of champagne; an eased look present on his face as he listened to her relate her story. His burgundy button up shirt and black slacks matched pleasantly with Pansy's ebony dress. The only one of the trio who looked out of place and uncomfortable was Draco. He sat listening to Pansy's story, a small smile playing on his face. It was strange to see him look at peace and actually happy. _That's why he seems out of place_ , she reasoned with herself.

Out of place or not, she knew she had to talk to him about what had happened. The meal slowly wrapped up, with people clearing their plates so they could start games of gobstones or exploding snap, and other's heading into the living room to sit and talk by the fire; some even braving the outdoors to play in the snow with the setting sun. Blaise and Pansy stood, opting to go to the warmly lit family room; Draco rose to follow and Hermione knew this was her chance.

"Malfoy wait," she said tentatively, walking around the table to stand closer to him.

He turned his head slightly towards her, his pale grey eyes piercing hers. He didn't seem angry, upset, or even drunk considering the amount of champagne she'd watched both him and Blaise consume. Draco looked at her expectantly, and she realized she hadn't continued.

"Can we talk?"

His face remained blank, but he gave a slight nod, following her as she walked towards the front door; grabbing her cloak as she went. They stepped outside into the cold, fresh air and Hermione took a deep breath to clear her mind, throwing her cloak around her shoulders and fastening the small clasp.

"Malfoy, I really need to apologize for what happened the last time we talked," she started somewhat quietly.

"Granger-" he started, his voice rather soft.

"Stop," she interrupted, almost pleading. "Just let me finish."

He gave no verbal affirmation that he would let her finish, but he also didn't make any move to stop her, so she continued.

"I know you don't like me Malfoy. I've known that since the first time we met. There's nothing I can do to change that. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions and by me telling you to read that book and hoping that it would change your mind…. I overstepped. I shouldn't have tried to coerce you into changing your beliefs. That was wrong of me…. And after that I tried again to convince you that your mindset was incorrect. I pushed you and pushed you until you did the only thing that you could do, which was react; not only that but I tried to use your reaction that I had pulled from you for my own excuse to explode. I hurt you. In more ways than one…. And I am beyond sorry. I should never done any of that…. And I know you might not be able to forgive me, but I hope that we can move somewhat past this so we can still work together."

She finished her rant, her chest heaving slightly from the lack of air, and looked at the tall blond man besides her, waiting for his reaction. Sometime during her apology rant, he had turned his gaze away from her and had looked towards the horizon where the sun sank slowly beneath the earth, making the snow shimmer like diamonds. He didn't move, and he didn't give any indication that he was going to respond; Hermione stood for a few more seconds before turning to leave. Before she could get far, he spoke, causing her to turn and retrace her steps.

"I don't hate you in the way that you think I do Granger," he said quietly.

"Why do you hate me then?" Hermione whispered. "I thought it was all because I'm a Mudblood."

He flinched slightly, turning back towards her. "Don't say that. It's awful."

"You didn't seem to have a problem calling me that all throughout Hogwarts and that day in your office," she pointed out.

"You're right. I didn't use to have a problem with it," he acknowledged. "It was a term my father used; he was my idol, so it just seemed natural that I use it. I didn't truly understand what it meant until later. My father was cruel, and his ideals were bigoted and awful; but I reveled in what he did, and how people cowered under his 'power'. I wanted to be just like him in every single way I could. Joining the Death Eaters was just another stepping stone to becoming a man that was close to the one my father wanted me to be, and who I wanted to be. After joining though…. It was unlike anything I had expected. It was…. Indescribable. At first, it seemed worthwhile. I felt powerful; especially when The Dark Lord said he had a special task for me….. The task which tore me apart. I couldn't focus on school, I quit quidditch, I wasn't sleeping. I wanted to complete the task, but at the same time I didn't. I may not have liked Dumbledore, but I didn't necessarily want him dead."

"You didn't kill him though," Hermione pitched in quietly. "Harry said you lowered your wand."

Draco's brow furrowed slightly at her statement, but he nodded. "I did. I didn't want to kill him. There I was, with my wand pointed right at his heart, Death Eaters behind me and all he did was try and convince me not to do it. He tried to tell me I was a better person than that…. He offered to help me. The man I was there to kill, was worried about me. It was unbelievable. I lowered my wand because…. I was scared. I didn't want to be a murderer. Then Snape came and finished him off…. Just like he was supposed to if I failed. I think that was when my pureblood beliefs really started to crumble."

"That's when they changed?" Hermione asked curiously.

"You'd been putting holes in them all throughout school. Ever since first year," he said, shaking his head disbelievingly. "You. The muggle-born girl that I was raised to hate. And here you were, more powerful and smart that any pureblood in the whole school. You were a testament against everything I'd ever been taught. With every breath you took, every spell you performed perfectly, and every answer you knew, you were tearing down the walls that had been built in my mind. That's why I hated you. You made me question every single thing my parents had ever taught me."

"That's why you hate me?" Hermione whispered. "So it is because of my blood."

"Not in the way you think," he countered. "It's not that I think your blood is dirty…. It's just that because of your blood and who you are…. I questioned everything I wasn't supposed to question."

"What was the breaking point for your morals then?" she asked. "You obviously don't have as much of a problem with people that aren't purebloods as you did before. I mean you are here talking with me, at a Christmas party with people that are supposedly beneath you."

Draco was silent, staring at her with his pale grey eyes which were illuminated in the glow of the setting sun.

"It was probably the next time I saw _him_ ," he said, suddenly answering her question. "After I had failed to kill someone, I was threatened with death for myself and my family even more than before. That somehow just made everything in my brain click. Why was I taking orders from a crazed half-blood; someone I was supposed to be better than in the first place? I was jerked rather roughly out of my prejudiced ideals…. Of course it wasn't an overnight thing, but that was the weight that pushed everything into motion. After that when your Golden Trio turned up at the Manor, I didn't have it in me to turn you in; or any of the people that came after you. Looking back to the Battle of Hogwarts, I'm not sure I would have walked back over to the Death Eaters had my mother not been there. I can't say that in one hundred percent surety, but I don't think I would have rejoined him then. I would have stayed with the other students. After the Hogwarts portion of my life was over, I started to try and turn my life around. I got a job at the Ministry, so people would trust me, and so I could become more comfortable around others….I didn't want to just live off of my fortune anymore."

He fell silent again, apparently at the end of his tale. Hermione stood besides him in the snow, her mind reeling. Maybe he really was drunk? He had to be; otherwise he never would have told her all of that.

"Is your hand alright?" he asked softly, jerking her from her thoughts.

She nodded rather absent-mindedly. "It's all healed. Katie helped me fix it; there's just a thin little scar left. Did I…. did I hurt your hand badly?"

Draco shook his head slightly. "No. I admit that it probably hurt my pride more than my hand. But it's healed just like yours."

"I'm sorry," Hermione whispered. "I shouldn't have hurt you."

"I provoked you," he said simply. "It was a normal reaction."

"Still, I shouldn't have hurt you," Hermione said sadly. "And trying to force you to see something out of it made it all the much worse."

"I did see something out of it though," Draco responded softly, his eyes flashing with something Hermione couldn't read. "I saw something just like I did that night at the Manor. I saw strength in you and your actions. And…. I saw that your blood wasn't any different than mine. Once blood is spilling out of someone like that, you start to realize that it's all the same; it doesn't matter where they come from or what their heritage is."

Hermione glanced at her left arm while he was talking, she didn't even know that he had witnessed the whole thing. She'd always figured that he had left the room once his aunt had started her crazed theatrics.

"So do you still hate me?" she asked, wondering why she had even decided to ask him.

Draco looked at her, his brow furrowed slightly at her question. After a few moments, he turned to look back in front of him; the horizon that was now dark and glittered with stars. Finally he took a deep breath and answered.

"I don't really know. I don't think I do. It's complicated though… I'm not sure about a lot of things anymore."

Hermione nodded, understanding his answer. Suddenly she remembered something, and reached into the pockets of her cloak. Pulling out a brightly wrapped parcel, she hesitantly handed it out to Draco. He looked at it for a moment, before taking the proffered gift.

"I know we didn't really ever start on the right terms…. But I'd like to start now," she said with a smile. "Happy Christmas Draco."

Surprisingly, he smiled back; holding her parcel lightly in his hands. Hermione smiled again, turning to head back into the house, when she heard his quiet reply. "Happy Christmas Granger."


	10. New Year, New Ideals?

A/N: I still don't own anything. J.K. Rowling owns it all…a fact of which I am constantly reminded. In this chapter I must also hail the imagination of Hasbro in creating the game Monopoly that is mentioned in this chapter. I do not own the game or the rights to it.

Quick note, what did you all think of that last chapter? It felt intense for me when I was writing it, but I'm not entirely sure if it came across how I wanted it to… As always, please review!

New Year, New Ideals?

The bringing of the New Year was held at Blaise's Estate, Most of the Order had come for the evening dinner, and had stayed around for a while after. As the night progressed however, the crowd diminished until it was only the Golden Trio and Ginny as well as the Silver Trio. Ron, Ginny and Harry had started a quidditch conversation, which Hermione feared would get heated because of all the alcohol that had been consumed. So far it had stayed pleasant, although rather hard to follow. Blaise and Pansy had coerced Hermione into bringing some muggle board games, and had started an intense game of Monopoly. The two Slytherins had needed the game explained to them, but had both picked it up extremely fast; Blaise pulling out into a large lead early in the game, leaving Hermione and Pansy behind. They had started their game seated on the floor with the board on the coffee table; their champagne and wine glasses perched delicately on the mahogany top. Pansy sat resting her chin on the table, her forehead furrowed in concentration. All the properties had been bought, and she was attempting to decide with whom to barter for the properties she wanted.

Draco sat at ease on the couch behind them, a wine glass warming his hand, watching the game with lazy interest. A small smile played on his face as he sampled his wine, watching Pansy plot her next move.

"I think you're out brained Pans," he commented lightly.

"Are you calling me stupid?" Pansy asked, her eyes still glued to the board.

"Far from it," Draco replied. "You are a brilliant witch. However you are playing against Hermione Granger who doesn't like to lose, and Blaise, who works in business and banking for a living."

"That doesn't mean I'm going to lose," she grumbled, tapping her fingers against the table.

"Pansy if you take any longer, it's going to be midnight," Blaise yawned, falling backwards onto the floor.

"Oh calm down you twat," Pansy commented. "There's still two hours to go. I have plenty of time."

"Maybe if you're going to play by yourself," Blaise groaned from the floor, his arm slung over his eyes.

This caused Hermione to burst out laughing, almost spilling her champagne as she tried to control herself. She managed to contain her laughter, only to start laughing again, when she saw Blaise peeking out at her from under the coffee table. Pansy reached underneath the table and poked him in the side, causing him to jump; bumping his head unceremoniously on the underside of the table and letting out a rather high-pitched yelp.

"That was attractive," Draco commented sarcastically as Blaise crawled out from under the table, rubbing the back of his head tenderly.

Blaise shot him a dirty look, rubbing the back of his head tenderly. "Sweet Salazar Pansy, haven't you taken your turn yet?"

Pansy snorted quietly. "No. But just for you, I'll take my turn now."

"Thank you," Blaise sighed as Pansy rolled the dice and took her move. "Granger if you're not any faster than Pansy, I'm going to die."

"Don't worry," Hermione laughed. "I was planning out my move while Pansy was deciding on hers."

"Wonderful. Take it," Blaise prodded, draining his glass.

Hermione smiled, trading a property card with Pansy, giving her a full set of one of the powerhouse rows of properties. That pushed Pansy out of the loop creating a toss-up game between Blaise and Hermione; one that Blaise ended up winning by an extremely slim margin. By the time the game was over, only ten minutes remained until midnight. Blaise and Pansy disappeared into the kitchen to grab another bottle of champagne, leaving Draco, Ginny and the Golden Trio behind. Pansy and Blaise returned with two minutes to spare; passing out the glasses and pouring the bubbly drink. As the grandfather clock in the hall chimed midnight, the all toasted the New Year; their glasses clinking merrily together.

"Godric Blaise," Ginny commented, as she sipped from her glass. "Did you spike this with something else? This is giving me the hiccups which never happens."

"Agreed," Hermione said, hiccupping quietly. "What did you do to it?"

"Nothing," Blaise said, holding his hands up defensively. "I didn't do anything to it."

"We wouldn't judge you if you did," Ron added, downing his glass. "In fact I rather like it."

"I swear on my questionable soul that I didn't tamper with the champagne," Blaise said solemnly, a hint of a smile hiding on his face.

"Whether or not it's true," Harry smiled. "It's a delicious drink."

...

"Bloody Merlin," Draco sighed running his fingers through his hair.

"That's not appropriate language Draco," Narcissa warned, carefully splitting eggshells and delicately pouring the contents into a large China dish. "Besides, there's no reason for you to be upset in the first place."

"There's plenty of reason mother," Draco growled, his fingers drumming agitatedly on the countertop. "What are you going to do if they come to you again? Are you just going to up and join them?"

Narcissa sighed, tucking a stray blonde lock behind her ear. "I don't know Draco. I can speak for myself but I cannot speak for your father. He is his own person and has his own thoughts and ideas of things."

"So you'd let him put you through all that pain and suffering again?" He hissed, his gaze darkening. "Even though you know it's wrong?"

"Draco you have to keep in mind that your father's ideals and mine were equally aligned once upon a time. As were yours...Whereas yours have changed, mine have not necessarily differed completely. When your father joined the Death Eaters, I didn't question it. The group paralleled all the things I had been taught through my childhood. I agreed with the things they were saying, and the practices they were putting in motion. That didn't change until they started to threaten my family." At Draco's continued glare, she continued. "I will not be reuniting myself with the Death Eaters if they do come to call; however I do not believe that they will come. I still cannot speak for Lucius Draco. You will have to ask him yourself."

"And what if he says that he will? Am I just supposed to obliviate him so he doesn't know of my involvement _against_ the Death Eaters?" Draco asked angrily, his eyes flashing.

Narcissa stopped in her food preparation and walked around the counter to stand besides her son. "Draco, I know you and Lucius have gone through some rough patches… And that you don't necessarily trust each other. However, he is still your father. I'm overjoyed that you and he have started to mend your relationship, even if your views now vary, but you need to discuss this with him. I have no control over what you do during or afterwards, but remember that he is your father, and he loves you very dearly…. As do I," she finished, placing a loving hand on his shoulder.

Draco sighed, his breathing returning to normal. "Alright," he consented. "Is he home?"

Narcissa nodded, returning to her cooking. "I believe he is in the study. If not there, try the library."

Draco thanked his mother and headed off in search of Lucius. If he was completely honest with himself; he wanted to walk right out of the door and never speak about the Death Eaters with his father ever again. It was a topic that he would much rather avoid; but because of his choices, the shadow of the Death Eaters would follow him for the rest of his life. Reaching his father's study, he knocked soundly on the door, waiting patiently for permission to enter.

"Enter," Lucius' commanding voice sounded through the deep oak wood of the door. Draco cleared his throat slightly, pulling the heavy wooden door open and entering the airy study space.

"Father, I have something to discuss with you," he said, standing stoically in front of Lucius.

"So I gathered," Lucius commented, refilling his wine glass. "Would you care for a drink?"

"I'd rather not," Draco replied tersely. "It would be better to just get this conversation over with as quickly as possible."

"Why? Are you afraid of my answer? Scared that I'll figure out that you're working under Potter's precious Order?" Lucius asked, a smirk spreading on his face at Draco's momentary shock.

After his moment of fear, Draco cleared his mind and wiped his visage of any emotion. "You don't know that anything you just said is remotely true."

Lucius laughed sharply. "You have never been able to hide things from your mother and I very well Draco. To some you might seem cold and unreadable, but when you're with us; your heart and mind are bleeding out for everyone to see. You may be right that I don't know for sure if what I have presumed is true, but you have my permission to correct me in any area of judgment where I may have erred," he finished mockingly, his gaze boring into Draco's.

Draco knew his silence would condemn him, but there was nothing he could think of to say in his defense.

"Nothing to say hm?" Lucius mused, a cold smirk lining his lips. "Well then you may as well present what you came here for in the first place."

Draco felt his temper flame for a split second at his father's blatant mocking, but he took a breath to calm himself, knowing that he would get nowhere by fighting with Lucius.

"I want to know if you plan on re-joining the Death Eaters," He said simply, his grey flashing in a challenge towards his father.

"You mean the rogues that have managed to escape Harry Potter and his band of Aurors? I'm not sure they qualify as Death Eaters," Lucius scoffed.

"You didn't answer the question," Draco replied flatly.

"Excuse me," Lucius shot back sarcastically. "Let me answer your question. I will not be rejoining the Death Eaters until they can provide an exemplary leader. One who exceeds even the Dark Lord."

"So you would rejoin if they rose to your expectations," Draco hissed through clenched teeth.

"Yes I would," Lucius responded. "The Death Eaters are the most respected pureblood group out there. And in case you have forgotten, we are purebloods."

"Respected?" Draco spat. "The Death Eaters absolutely no respect left. They are held about as high in esteem as a pile of garbage or dirt."

"Respect isn't about people loving you Draco," Lucius sneered. "Love is for lesser people. Respect is about fear. If others fear you, then they will follow you and heed to your every word. Love will get you nowhere in life."

"Fear. Is that the state you want to live your life in?" Draco said, not bothering to hide the disgust in his voice.

"It will not be me that is living in fear if I rejoin the Death Eaters Draco," Lucius replied. "It will be the people I encounter. However, with that being said, I do not believe the new 'Death Eaters' will approach me any time soon. They do not take kindly to people who have 'wavering' loyalties. This will have been the second time I have abandoned them and escaped punishment. There is no comeback from that."

"Good. It's time you figured out that the Death Eaters cannot offer you anything anymore," Draco hissed, not caring that he was blatantly disrespecting his father.

Lucius' eyes hardened. "And you still need to learn to embrace your heritage Draco. I had such high hopes for you; all throughout school you did well with domineering over your lessers. However, you have started a decline; unfortunately that is apparent in your way of thinking. It's ruining you."

"It has made me a better person father," Draco argued, furious with Lucius.

"You? A better person? Please Draco, do you really think your life was better than it was before? It may be if you are looking for a life filled with loneliness." At Draco's slightly confused stare, he continued. "What self-respecting woman would want to be with you son? In fact what would any woman want to do with you? You failed epically at being a pureblood; so what pureblooded girl would want to be tied to a tainted soul like yours? If you can't go with a pureblood girl, you'd think that you could go with a half-blood or…. A muggleborn? They won't take you either. What half-blood or other would want to take someone that had looked down on them their whole life? You think they want to marry someone who joined the Death Eaters and tried to wipe out their kind? Let me be clear Draco. _No one will ever want you_ ," Lucius finished harshly, knowing fully well that he was tearing his son apart.

Draco couldn't respond. His heart clenched painfully in his chest, and he felt sick to his stomach. The things his father had voiced, were things that constantly ran through his mind; things that scared him more than anything else. To be unwanted was his greatest fear; that is why he had been the person he was when he was young. It was all to please his father and be seen as worthy in his eyes. Failing to be a worthwhile Death Eater had not only seen him fail in his father's expectations, but he was tarnished and beaten beyond what anyone else would ever want. It hurt him to know that his father had come to the same conclusion, because not matter what he told himself, he still yearned for his father's praise and approval. He attempted to say something, _anything_. But his words stuck in his throat.

"I hope you got what you came here for Draco," Lucius said haughtily, although his tone was changed from his earlier statements. "I do care for you Draco. I want you to make something out of your life."

Draco nodded slightly, turning and leaving the room without another word to his father. Moments after Draco disappeared, Narcissa walked quietly into the room, taking a seat near her husband's desk.

"Draco just left without a word," She commented quietly. "What did you say to him?"

"That is between Draco and myself," Lucius replied, a slight note of finality in his voice.

Narcissa's blue eyes flashed, and Lucius saw her jaw visibly set. "Lucius, I have every right to know what you said to him. If we never see our son again because of this conversation, on Salazar's soul I had better have a reason, or so help me I will hex you into a state you have never been in before."

The look on present on Lucius' face hadn't changed during his wife's statements, save the slight raise of his right eyebrow. Inside however, he knew that if he didn't heed her warning, she would indeed go through with everything she had threatened him with. He mentally made a decision, but he could tell that Narcissa already knew.

"You told him you would rejoin," she stated, no hint of a question in her voice. Lucius nodded and she sighed. "Lucius you know that they will never approach us again because of what we've done…. Why did you have to tell him that you would join when you know there is no chance of that happening?"

"He needed to know that I'm not changing my ideals just because The Dark Lord is gone," Lucius stated, holding his wife's gaze.

"You told him what I revealed to you didn't you?" Narcissa asked, pain bleeding into her words. "That had no place in your conversation Lucius."

"It had it's own place where it was Narcissa," Lucius countered. "He can't hide what he is doing from us. Draco needs to understand how much Potter and his Order are going to damage his already soiled reputation."

Narcissa's eyes flamed. "Harry Potter may not be a boy of the standards that we normally hold in high regard, but he is the reason that we were able to find Draco in that final battle, and you know that. Without Harry Potter, Draco would have died inside the Room of Requirement and we _never_ would have seen him again; final battle or not. I hold him in the highest esteem; he saved our son's life, and I can never repay him for that."

"You repaid him enough when you lied to the Dark Lord about the boy's death," Lucius scoffed. "I'd think that was quite enough payment for him."

Narcissa's eyes flashed and she tapped her finger angrily against the armrest of the chair. "Lucius, Draco is an adult now. He can make his own decisions and he doesn't need is to tell him what to believe anymore. It's not your place to try and alter the course of his life so it aligns with yours."

"Of course it's my place Narcissa. I'm his father, and I will always have some portion of control over my only son's life," Lucius replied calmly, scanning lazily through a thick volume.

"Lucius… I love you more than anything in this world, save Draco. Please don't do this," she pleaded, her anger and fear almost driving her to tears. "Your relationship with our son was on the mend, and I don't want it to be destroyed completely because you cannot let go of your precious pride for one moment and just be his father instead of the overbearing, harsh instructor."

Lucius looked ready to argue back, but thought better of it, simply nodding in compliance with his wife's commands, both spoken and unspoken. Narcissa's gaze softened, and she reached across the desk to grasp her husband's free hand; her petite fingers entwining with his larger masculine ones.

"I don't know exactly what you said to him Lucius, and I don't know that he'll ever come back or that either of us will ever see him again," she whispered. "But promise me that if he does, you'll try and fix things?"

Lucius didn't say anything, but his face took on a concentrated, pensive look.

"Please Lucius," Narcissa asked again; the edges of her vision wavering with unshed tears. "Please. You know I hardly ever ask anything of you… But will you do this one thing for me? For our family?"

His eyes flickered with something that Narcissa couldn't read, but he nodded, a glimmer of a smile floating around the edges of his mouth. "I promise Cissy. I promise."

...

Draco returned to the Manor immediately after his argument with Lucius; for an odd reason, it wasn't the first place he thought of, but he didn't dare going to Number 12 Grimmauld Place when he was so emotionally unbalanced. No, he needed to be alone…. Yet somehow he yearned to be around others to distract him from the over-whelming thoughts swirling through his mind. Without thinking, his feet took him upstairs to his bedchamber and out to the large balcony. He removed his dark robes, leaning heavily against the railing and losing touch with the world around him, not noticing when another person quietly entered the room.

"Malfoy?" the person queered quietly, causing him to jump slightly.

"Granger," he acknowledged, his voice low and weary.

"You're not going to ask what I'm doing in your house?" she asked, a quiet, teasing tone to her voice.

"At this point, I've realized that even if you're not supposed to be somewhere, you're going to stay anyways Granger," he sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "So there's really no use in throwing you out is there? Although I am curious about how you got in."

"Your house elf let me in," Hermione admitted, slipping her hands into her robe pockets.

"Wonderful," Draco replied, his voice void of any emotion.

They stood in silence, Draco not caring to talk and Hermione unsure of what to say in the hollow silence. Finally, she took a spoonful of her Gryffindor courage and dove right in.

"Can I ask you something?"

Draco didn't say anything, and although he didn't tell her she could question him, he didn't show signs of stopping her either, so she continued.

"Your aunt died correct?" she questioned rather hesitantly.

Draco sighed heavily, adjusting his weight so he was leaning less on the railing, and more on the balls of his feet. "Which aunt Granger?"

"Bellatrix," she answered quietly, averting her eyes so she wouldn't see his scathing look.

If she had looked however, she would have been surprised to see that his face held none of it's signature smirk or the scathing look she had been inspecting. Instead, his face was impassive and his answer was simple.

"Bellatrix is dead," he affirmed, his voice revealing no emotion connection.

Hermione sighed, anger and frustration being revealed. "Then how in Merlin's good name could that be possible?"

Draco turned to look at the witch besides him, a question written into his features.

"Your idiot friend and Katie Bell seem to think that Bellatrix is the Death Eater heading up all this nasty business," she huffed, her irritation obvious as she answered his unspoken question.

"Which idiot friend?"

"Blaise," she exclaimed. "That's what makes it even more outrageous. He's supposed to be grounded and level-minded!"

Draco snorted humorlessly. "Blaise has an extremely over-active imagination. Of course he thinks its Bellatrix."

"That's crazy though!" Hermione growled in frustration. "Katie doesn't have an imagination like that. She's a down to earth witch. I mean she works for St. Mungo's for Merlin's sake!"

Draco again remained silent, his mind again overwhelmed with his conversation with his father in the present silence.

Hermione looked over at the blond wizard besides her, wondering why he suddenly seemed so…. Displaced. Draco wasn't an outspoken person, but he wasn't necessarily one to keep his thoughts contained either; his silence was eerily off putting. As she watched him, she noticed the subtle movements of his features, like the way his eyes remained trained on something only he could see, the contents filled with a mass of thoughts and feelings, the way his brow furrowed slightly as he thought of something unpleasant, and the conceded firmness of his jaw, as he came to a conclusion with whatever was tormenting his thoughts.

"What are you thinking about?" she queried softly, abandoning her crazed thoughts on the antics of Blaise and Katie.

"Nothing," Draco whispered in response.

Hermione's brow furrowed slightly at his answer, but she didn't press it any further. "Well thank you for the information on your aunt, but I should be going so I don't disrupt your evening any more. Thank you for your time," she finished with a soft smile, turning and leaving the room; wondering what had put such a damper on her fiery Slytherin co-worker.


	11. A Black Past

_**A/N: Ok, so for this chapter I just wanted to make you all aware that every single character you hear about or meet in this chapter is completely real; they are all created by J.K. Rowling. However, with that being said; the relationship between Evan Rosier and Bellatrix Lestrange is completely made up. That relationship is something I thought of and it is not canon or anything approved by J.K. Rowling. Evan Rosier's death however, IS real. He did truly die in a battle between the Aurors and the Death Eaters (found on Pottermore, which is approved by J.K. Rowling).**_

 _ **Alright, I'm done. J.K. Rowling owns all the rights, and I would be overjoyed if you reviewed!**_

A Black Past

Hermione sat in her office at the Ministry the next day, working on a report, Pamela sitting in a smaller corner desk filling out the necessary paperwork. She had returned to work the previous week as the Order had seen a halt in Death Eater activity and there was nothing more to research, and there was plenty to do here. Harry and Ron had also returned in the absence of the Order work; Malfoy had never abandoned his occupation, and was currently away in Morocco on business. Her unannounced arrival at Malfoy Manor and the conversation that had ensued following her arrival had both left her feeling rather out of sorts. Something about him had seemed very off that night, and it was disconcerting. And being at Malfoy Manor again had sent a shiver down her spine that she hadn't been about to shake since.

Standing, she instructed Pamela to keep working, and that she was only going to drop by Ron's office for a moment. Hermione eventually did make it down to Ron's office, but he wasn't there. She took a seat, tapping her finger impatiently against the desk, hoping he would be back soon. Her thoughts were interrupted as her toffee colored barn owl flew through the window, landing softly on her right knee, and dropping a wrapped parcel in her lap. Giving a sweet hoot, the owl flighted out the window, leaving Hermione alone again in the office. Picking up the parcel, she slipped a letter opening under the wrapping, gently breaking it free. The wrapping fell away, revealing a letter written on fine parchment. Unfolding the parchment, she began to read.

 _Granger,_

 _I've thought a lot about our most recent conversation; the one where you came into my house unannounced? Well, I thought it was rather odd that more than one person would come to the same outrageous conclusion. Normally, I would assume that it was because they had talked recently and one had convinced the other. However, since the two individuals involved, don't often speak, I find that highly unlikely. I have thought of something that could explain their reasoning, but I cannot write it down unless this letter is intercepted. If at all possible, I need you to come and meet me as soon as you can. I will be waiting at Number 12._

 _-D.M._

Hermione's brow furrowed upon finishing the letter. It was rather unclear, and rather silly. There couldn't be a reasonable explanation to Katie and Blaise's crazy theory could there?

Hermione had rushed back to her office, alerting Pamela that she would be gone the rest of the afternoon, and leaving her the option to either stay and complete the paperwork, or leave it for another day. After leaving Pamela, she'd scratched out a hurried note to Ron and Harry, leaving copies on both of their desks before flooing immediately to Grimmauld Place, where Draco was already waiting for her.

"Malfoy?" she called upon entering the house, and walking into the living room. "Malfoy what in Merlin's name is going on?"

Draco stood by the fireplace, obviously agitated, his eyes boring into hers. "Granger, this is very important. Do you know what happened to Normank Ritchker?"

"The man who has an unregistered time turner?" Hermione asked, utterly confused. "No, we haven't been able to pick up anything on him since when we first tried to apprehend his time turner. He has dropped completely off the map. No one knows what happened to him or his time turner," she finished, looking at the blond Slytherin.

"Damn," he swore, a flash of panic crossing his features. "Granger, Blaise and Katie are right."

"What?" she breathed, fear clutching icily at her chest. "How…..?"

"That's why they are convinced that it's Bellatrix Granger. It _is_ her. But from back in time. That Normank guy, used the time turner to jump back and bring Bellatrix to the present," Draco explained, his voice staying even but his eyes betraying fear.

"That would change the whole time continuum," Hermione whispered, her mind whirling. "If she's here now, that means almost all places she was in the past will have changed in some way."

"How would you know all of that?" Draco questioned, looking uneasy.

"McGonagall loaned me a time turner during third year so I could make it to all of the classes that I wanted to, even though they were held during the same hour. I learned how to use it and I witnessed many of the consequences that come when you meddle with time."

He nodded, seeming satisfied with her answer. "Well there are definitely going to be serious consequences no matter what happens."

Hermione silently agreed, her mind still whirling. "If Bellatrix really is back, why hasn't anyone reported seeing her? She's not exactly someone who blends into a crowd and as far as I know, she doesn't like staying in the background."

Draco shook his head, a nervous, pensive look on his face. "No. Bellatrix definitely likes to show off her gruesome techniques. This doesn't make sense."

Hermione ran her fingers roughly through her hair., her heart beating rapidly in her chest. "We need to talk to your mother."

"My mother?"

"Yes your mother," Hermione repeated. "I would say we should go to Andromeda, but your mother spent much more time around her older sister, and she of all people would know anything helpful about Bellatrix."

...

...

...

"Again, we're really sorry for coming to your home so unannounced," Hermione apologized, as they followed Narcissa into the sitting room.

"It's fine, although rather strange," Narcissa commented as she sat down lightly on the patterned sofa. "I just thought it might be better to speak somewhere more private."

"That's probably best," Draco sighed, staring out the window.

Narcissa shot a slight harsh look towards her son, but it was gone as quick as it had appeared. "So, Miss Granger, I'm assuming this is Ministry business?"

"Yes," Hermione answered immediately, not wanting to steer any of the female Malfoy's thoughts towards Harry and the Order. "We have reason to believe that some dangerous activity is taking place, and it could be being carried out in the name of your late sister."

"Bellatrix," Narcissa confirmed, her face impassive. "What can I help you with?"

"We know this might be a sensitive topic for you Mrs. Malfoy, so if you're uncomfortable with anything we ask, you don't have to answer," Hermione started, a slight smile on her face as Narcissa nodded in agreement. "So, could you possibly tell us how your sister reacted when people went against her wishes?"

"It differed," Narcissa answered simply. "When she was first graduated from Hogwarts, her tactics and methods were extremely calculated. She planned everything she did. She had notebooks, planners, catalogues, everything. She was careful and made sure that she didn't leave any tracks."

Hermione raised a finger slightly, and at Narcissa's look commented. "If Bellatrix didn't leave any tracks or traces, how do you know this?"

"Because after Bellatrix married Rodolphus she moved to the Lestrange estates, leaving all of her belongings in our childhood home. My mother left me the job of cleaning out Bella's room to turn it into a guestroom for our 'esteemed relatives' that would come and visit. During my periodic cleansing of her room, I found all of those diaries, journals, and plans that she had made. It was utterly horrifying how detailed she was in her plans to exterminate people she believed were her enemies. Of course by that time, it was too late to do anything to veer her off of the path she had chosen, so I kept it all to myself."

"Was she that meticulous in her later years? Before she died?" Hermione questioned, a strange look on her face.

"No," Narcissa replied, a dark look passing over her eyes. "Bella changed after Azkaban. It did something to her soul, being around all of those Dementors. After escaping from that awful prison, her plans dissolved. She never planned something again, she carried out all of her escapades with an insane twist; an almost crazed attribute. By the end of her life, I'm quite sure that she was mentally corrupted. I don't think my sister had any ounce of sanity left in her. Bellatrix lost all of her decorum and poise at the end. She killed whoever was in her way, whoever dared to address her without permission, whoever didn't fit her twisted ideals."

"Do you have any pictures of your sister before she went to Azkaban?" Hermione asked, trying to control her breathing.

Narcissa nodded, rising at walking over to a bookshelf and taking down a small oakwood box, carrying it back to the couch, placing it gingerly in her lap. She took a breath, and Draco could hear it shudder as she unlocked the simple clasp and lifted the lid. "I don't know if any of these will be of any use…" she said quietly, handing Hermione the stack of pictures.

Hermione gently took the stack, looking through the pictures one by one, Draco peering slightly over her shoulder. Many of the pictures were from the Black sister's childhood; pictures of them playing with dolls, making daisy chains in the field behind the house, dressed in their Sunday bests in the front foyer, and sitting on the floor amongst china sets, their faces filled with youthful joy and laughter. Draco's eyes scanned each and every picture, his face as still as stone, whereas Hermione's broke out in small smiles at the playful scenes the pictures captured. They flipped another picture and the scenes drastically changed. Instead of the smiling, joyful sisters, there were scenes of three young women, all the joy from their faces gone. Instead, they held domineering, haughty looks, as if they were glaring down at whomever was taking their pictures. Only a few pictures held all three of them; as later in their teen years Andromeda had been disowned. The last pictures showed only Narcissa, Bellatrix and often their parents.

Hermione glanced at Draco out of the corner of her eye, gauging his reaction to the pictures. His face was impassive, his eyes carefully detailing each photograph. She looked back down and her eyes scrunched slightly. Narcissa and Bellatrix were pictured in the Black family garden pavilion, apparently posed for were others in the picture as well; Hermione recognized Lucius Malfoy standing close to Narcissa, Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange stood towards the back of the group, a young Sirius and Regulus Black stood with their parents and other relatives Hermione didn't recognize. Then she noticed, standing directly behind Bellatrix, his hand on her shoulder, was a young man that Hermione didn't know at all.

"Who is this young man?" she asked, glancing from Draco to his mother.

Draco shrugged, but Narcissa shifted her position and commented. "That's Evan Rosier…. A Death Eater that was engaged to Bellatrix long before Rodolphus."

"What happened to him?" Hermione questioned, looking questioningly at Draco's mother.

"He was eliminated in a battle between the Aurors and the relatively new Death Eaters. They were caught torturing a group of muggles, and he was eventually killed by Alastar Moody," Narcissa answered evenly.

"I thought Bellatrix never loved anyone besides The Dark Lord?" Draco offered quietly, his eyes not leaving the picture.

"Bellatrix only loved The Dark Lord for his power," Narcissa answered her son. "She was attracted to it, an awful lot light a muggle magnet. Power was what Bella was truly in love with. Evan was a powerful Death Eater. He was almost six years older than Bella, and very experienced in the dark arts. Not only that, but he was very much in love with Bellatrix, who wanted nothing more than to become the best Death Eater she could be; wanting to prove herself and her pureblood allegiances. Bellatrix was fresh blood in the program, only having just been inducted when the battle with the Aurors was fought. She watched as Moody killed the man she loved, and something inside of her snapped. She became cold and unfeeling. She killed without mercy; whereas before she had never killed, only tortured. She became the calculating, deceiving, planning Death Eater that the other members feared and respected," she finished quietly, looking pointedly at her well manicured nails.

"So if she loved another, why did she marry Rodolphus?" Hermione wondered, looking back at the photograph.

"Because that's what you do," Draco answered softly, his voice taunt. "It's an obligation to marry into another pureblood family."

Narcissa nodded in agreement. "Our parents were good friends with the Lestrange family, and they convince Bella that Rodolphus or Rabastan would be highly praised suitors. So, to please our parents and continue the pureblood customs, she agreed; a year later, she married Rodolphus."

"But surely she didn't love him? Her other love had just died? Did she truly move on that quickly?" Hermione inquired, still slightly confused.

"The marriage of Rodolphus and my sister was a loveless one. They both agreed to the union to appease old tradition, although they didn't fulfill on those plans. Almost all pureblood marriages are for producing heirs to carry on the name and the family inheritance. Rodolphus and Bellatrix never had a child. They dedicated their lives to the Death Eaters, and eventually paid for their actions with their own blood," Narcissa finished stonily, her hands clasped tightly together.

"I'm terribly sorry, but there is one more thing I'd like to ask," Hermione said quickly, hoping that her question would be answered before Narcissa kicked them out. Seeing the blonde witches' nod of agreement, she continued. "Is there a reason that people think your sister could be related to these suspicious activities?"

"Many Death Eaters feared and respected my sister. They believed that she was strong, and that nothing could stand in her way. After The Dark Lord's plan began to fall through, many expected her to step up and take his place. Whether they said it out loud or not, many a witch and wizard's allegiances turned from the Dark Lord and over to Bellatrix," Narcissa replied quietly.

Hermione nodded, rising from her seat as she did. "Again Mrs. Malfoy, thank you for allowing us to come to your home and speak with you."

"Of course," Narcissa said politely, her features relaxing slightly at the signs that the two young people were leaving. "I only hope that it helps."

"I'm positive that it will be of the utmost help for us," Hermione reassured her, as they walked back to the front doors of the estate.

Narcissa nodded, watching as Hermione walked out the door, her hand flying out to catch Draco's arm before he left. "Draco-"

"Mother, I'm afraid I can't talk now," he said, his eyes trained steadily on the open doorway. "I have work to do."

"Draco surely you can spare one minute? I'm sure Miss Granger will wait for you," she pleaded, her face dropping it's signature calm to reveal utter panic.

Draco sighed, but reached out and slowly shut the door so he and his mother would be blocked from Hermione's view if she chose to turn around.

"Thank you," Narcissa said quietly, her hands shaking slightly. "Draco I'm not a fool. I know that the business you are conducting for the 'Ministry' isn't for them at all. I know you believe that Bellatrix could possibly be back…. But please listen to me. Don't keep looking into this. If she really is back by some unreal stretch of the imagination, she _will_ find out what you are doing and come after you. She's merciless Draco, as you know. She will stop at nothing to prevent word of her return getting out. Don't continue doing this. It's much more dangerous than you might think."

"I appreciate your concern mother," Draco said, opening the door to leave. "However, this isn't something I can just ignore. I assure you that I will be careful."

Narcissa tearfully nodded, pulling her son into her thin arms, before turning and walking back into the house. Draco stared after his mother for a moment before exiting, and shutting the door firmly behind him. He fastened his cloak tighter as the cold wind hit his face. He walked quickly down the steps, enjoying the crunch of the snow underneath his shoes. He cleared his throat quietly as he walked over to Hermione, who was waiting patiently for him by the gate. As he neared, her face broke into a small smile and she turned so they could walk side by side down the road. They walked in silence for a moment, before Hermione broke the frigid air.

"Why would they chose to bring Bellatrix back instead of Voldemort?" she questioned.

Draco flinched slightly at the mention of the Dark Lord's name, which didn't go unnoticed by Hermione; however she chose not to bring it up.

"It's like my mother said. People started losing respect for him. He failed continually," he replied.

Hermione didn't say anything, just folded her hands into her cloak pockets and tried to clear her mind. The snow was falling gently around them, and she enjoyed the peaceful feeling it brought, even if she herself wasn't feeling very peaceful at all.

"I think we need to alert the rest of the Order about this… whether or not it's true," she commented slowly, choosing her words carefully.

"Agreed," Draco replied, glancing sideways at his Gryffindor companion. "I think we should also alert the Ministry. The public has a right to know if there is a maniac killer on the loose."

Hermione nodded. "Alerting the Ministry is definitely a smart idea." She fell silent again, kicking the snow lightly with her feet as she walked. She felt the sudden urge to say something to the blond man besides her, and before she could talk herself out of it, the words were already tumbling out of her mouth.

"I got promoted… at the Ministry."

Draco turned his head towards Hermione at her uncharacteristic comment. "Really?" he commented, one eyebrow quirked upwards, and a small smile present on his face. "So you're above the all-mighty Chosen One, Granger?"

Hermione slapped his arm lightly, a smile tickling the corners of her mouth. "Knock it off Draco. But yes… I am higher on the totem pole than Harry is."

Draco's brow furrowed slightly. "You called me Draco."

"Well that's your name isn't it?" Hermione answered, her cheeks turning slightly pink; running her fingers through her hair in a flustered manner.

"I suppose so," he answered slowly. "So what's your promotion?"

Hermione's cheeks turned an even darker shade of pink and she mumbled something incoherent into her silk scarf.

Draco smirked as he looked at the fluffy haired witch. "What was that?" he teased. "I'm not quite sure I heard you over the overwhelming sound of your scarf."

Hermione glared at him over the edge of her scarf, her eyes twinkling. "I'm Head of the Department."

Draco's feet stopped moving, and he immediately halted. "Wait really?"

"Really," she smiled, her voice revealing her utter excitement. "Mr. Dawson is retiring, and he asked me today if it would be willing to step up to his plate and take over the department."

"That's amazing Granger," Draco responded, a smiled lining his face.

Hermione beamed; still unsure of why she had even told Draco of her promotion in the first place. However, it did feel good to have someone commend her for something she had done. She also noted that Draco had an actual smile on his face. Hermione couldn't think of a time when she had seen him _actually_ smile. The smiles she had witnessed at Hogwarts had always been filled with hate, intolerance, and dominance; it had never been just a true smile…and Hermione found that she rather liked his smile. She turned to see him still looking at her, the smile still on his face. She blushed slightly again, but quickly cleared her throat and brought her mind back to the present task.

"We should get back to Number 12 and see if we should gather anyone," she said simply.

Draco mentally slapped himself for getting off topic. "It would probably be a good idea to get back," he agreed.

Hermione nodded, giving him a small smile before disapparating; Draco following shortly after.

 _ **A/N: Another chapter down! Please read and review.**_


	12. Too Close of a Call

A/N: I still don't own anything. J.K. Rowling owns it all! Except for the song lyrics mentioned in this song. The song is _Little Wonders_ by Rob Thomas and he owns the rights to that.

Thanks for all y'all that have been reading my story! I am so thankful for you! Please review.

Too Close of a Call

"So it really is Bellatrix," Ginny whispered as the Order sat in Number 12 later that night.

Ron and Hermione nodded solemnly; Harry reached over and clasped Ginny's hand tightly in his own. The room was silent with a heavy blanket of fear and desolation, with no one wanting to admit the truth to themselves. In the midst of the silence there was a knock on the door. Hermione excused herself, and went to check the front room. She unlatched the door and opened it just enough to see who occupied the other side.

"Alicia?"

The blonde witch nodded. "Angelina and Ginny told me there was a meeting of sorts tonight, something to do with Harry. They said it was awfully important…."

Hermione smiled and opened the door wide enough to allow Alicia to enter the small front entryway. "It's been a long time Alicia," she commented as she lead the other witch back towards the living room.

Alicia smiled as she followed the bouncy haired witch. "I've been out of the country visiting my sister and her family. They live in America."

"That sounds lovely," Hermione admitted as they re-entered the room the rest of the Order occupied.

"Alicia? Alicia Spinnett?" Ron asked in surprise as the two witches took their seats.

"Don't seem so surprised Ronald," she laughed. "It's not as if I dropped off the face of the planet."

"It sure seemed like it for a while there Spinnett," Fred laughed from across the room; George nodding in agreement.

Alicia shrugged, leaning closer to Angelina to hear the update of what she missed in her tardiness. The others in the room talked in smaller groups as well; each conversation filled with fear and determination.

"Oi Harry," George commented as the Raven haired boy walked past.

Harry stopped, turning towards George and Fred, ready to listen but not attempting to appear happy.

George and Fred glanced at each other quickly before looking back at the younger wizard. "Freddy and I have something that we would like to run by you." With a nod from Harry, George continued. "At the shop, we make joke cloaks and coloring changing cloaks as you know. So Freddy and I figured that if we can make those types of cloaks, why not try others? We've come up with a design and prototype for a shield cloak. It's not quite as good as an actual shield, but we've tested it and it holds and protects against most common attack spells. If you think it would be helpful, we would be happy to make as many as you need."

Harry's face was pensive, but visibly relaxed. "George, Fred. That would be…. Beyond helpful. Those cloaks could be the deciding factor in whether someone survives or dies. I don't want to ask you to do so much extra work however. We have many members, and it would drain you of supplies for your shop. I can't ask that of you."

Fred laughed softly. "Harry, mate. The shop is booming. We have more supplies than we know what to do with. We would be immeasurably grateful if you allowed us to use our time and skills to help. Georgie and I owe this to you if nothing else. You're the one who helped us get our company off of the ground. We wouldn't have the shop without you."

Harry nodded slightly, feeling extremely grateful to the twins for their offer. "Alright. The cloaks would be remarkably helpful. I don't think I can express how grateful I am for you two."

"Ah shucks Potter," George joked. "Anymore praise and you'll make us blush."

"Yeah Harry," Fred joined. "Strong, handsome men like us blushing? We can't have that."

"No more praise then," Harry chuckled.

"Alrighty then," the twins said in sync. "We're gonna go around and get people's measurements so we can start working on those. Catch ya later."

Harry nodded and watched the ginger twins saunter off through the groups of people, their faces light and joking as they teased the members and slightly lightened the mood in the room. He sighed lightly as he watched the people mill about the room. With Voldemort gone, they had finally reached a state of peace…. But that was going to all change now.

Everyone eventually left -Ron promising to send a message to Kingsley about warning the public- leaving Harry and Ginny alone in the now almost spacious feeling house.

"Let's head home," Ginny said quietly, walking over and folding Harry's hand gently into hers. "I'll make you something to eat if you want."

Harry shook his head despondently. "Thank Gin, but I don't think I could eat anything."

"Let's just go home then," she insisted, pulling him towards the door.

Harry nodded slightly, allowing Ginny to almost drag him out of the small house. His feet felt like they were made from lead, and his head seemed to be filled with frozen molasses. Ginny pulled him through the door, latching it firmly behind them; watching as it disappeared between the two plain muggle homes.

"It's late enough," she observed. "I don't think the muggles would see if we apparated."

Harry nodded, too tired both mentally and physically to argue with her. Ginny squeezed his hand tightly in hers, and Harry felt the familiar tug in his stomach as they disapparated.

Landing firmly on the front steps of their home, Ginny flicked her wand to unlock the door, gently tugging Harry across the threshold. The pair slowly walked up the stairs to the bedroom, the darkness of the house seeming to press in all around them, slowly snuffing the light out, and suffocating the happiness. They both changed into their nightclothes and climbed into bed; neither one of them wanting to sleep.

"I thought we were done with this mess," Ginny whispered, staring unblinking at the ceiling. "Then again, I thought once you destroyed Tom Riddle's diary that that would be the end of things. Funny how that all turned out."

Harry sighed, flipping over on his side and propping his head up with this elbow. "Nothing is ever over when you're a Potter, Gin. It's a crazy, messed up world that never seems to play fair. There's golden moments though."

Ginny smiled, her eyes twinkling. "Like what? When you got to go to the ball with Parvati Patil? Or the time someone tried to slip you a love potion? Or the time you had to…"

"Okay okay," Harry laughed softly letting his head fall back onto the pillow. "I admit my life hasn't been exactly peachy, but hey. I'm still here, and I have you. I'd say that's pretty golden."

"Mm," Ginny agreed, tilting her head to capture Harry's lips. "I guess we'll just have to hold on to these little golden moments then won't we?"

Harry smiled, catching her lips again and pulling her close.

"I take that as a yes," she whispered breathlessly, her fingers winding into his hair as he kissed her softly; their anger and fear dissipating with each passing moment.

 _Let it go_

 _Let it roll right off your shoulder_

 _Don't you know_

 _The hardest part is over?_

 _Let it in_

 _Let your clarity define you_

 _In the end_

 _We will only just remember how it feels_

 _Our lives are made_

 _In these small hours_

 _These little wonders, these twists and turns of fate_

 _Time falls away,_

 _But these small hours, these little wonders_

 _Still remain_

 _..._

Hermione walked to her office in the Ministry the next day, determined to get the last of that paperwork done. Sighing, she unlocked her door and dropped her bag on the floor.

"Merlin, why is it so dark in here?" she wondered aloud, flicking her wand and raising the lights.

The lights came on and Hermione screamed. There, on her wall was a dead animal; a ferret she categorized it mentally. It's blood was leaking down the wall, pooling when it reached the carpet. She walked closer, her hand over her mouth. There was a note staked to the wall behind the dead ferret; the corners soaked in blood. Hermione gently pulled on the note, almost gagging when it fell free. Her eyes scanned the paper; her throat closing when she read the words written on the parchment. She ran from the room, the parchment falling slowly to the ground behind her.

 _HOW DO YOU LIKE DEAD FERRET MUDBLOOD?_

"Harry! Merlin Harry are you in here?" Hermione exclaimed, rushing into his office in a flurry, her face red and her cloak still covered in flakes of snow.

Harry popped up from under his desk, a stack of papers in his hands. "No, I'm in here." Seeing her panicked face he dropped the papers on his desk. "Hermione what's wrong?"

Hermione tried to control herself but it didn't work. Her eyes glistened with tears and she tried to control her shaking hands.

Harry's eyes widened as she realized what she was trying to say. "Who is it Hermione?"

A single tear trailed down her face. "It's Draco, Harry. Merlin, it's Draco."

Harry nodded once, not bothering to wonder why it would be affecting Hermione in such a way. "Let's go," he said firmly, grabbing his cloak on the way out of the room. Hermione nodded, wiping a hand over her eyes and following Harry as the strode purposefully from the department. They reached the apparation point; leaving immediately to Malfoy Manor. As soon as she felt her feet touch firm ground, Hermione took off running, Harry following close behind her. She burst through the front door, her feet sliding on the sleek, polished floors.

"Malfoy? Malfoy?" Hermione called, desperately running through the house, opening each door she came to.

"Malfoy?! Oh gods Malfoy where are you?" she cried, flinging another door open.

"Hermione!" Harry called after her, racing through the house. "Hermione I don't think he's here!"

Hermione ignored Harry and continued her frantic search of the house. "Malfoy?!" Turning a corner, she ran into something, tripping and tumbling to the floor. Wincing in pain, she turned to see what had caused her fall.

"Miss Granger!" Rillie squeaked, her small hands clutching nervously at the fabric of her dress. "Rillie didn't mean to trip you miss, but Rillie heard you calling for Master Draco."

That caught Hermione's attention and her eyes widened fearfully. "Rillie, where is Draco? Is he alright?"

Rillie cocked her head to one side, her eyes betraying her confusion. "Miss Granger, Rillie doesn't know what you is talking about Miss, but Master Draco is at his parent's estate."

"No no no no no," Hermione exclaimed, jumping to her feet. "Thank you Rillie," she called over her shoulder as she ran back towards the front door. "HARRY! Harry we have to go! He's not here, he's at his parents! Harry!"

"Hermione?" Harry called back, racing to meet her at the door. "Hermione what's going on? Where is he?"

"He's at his parent's estate," she explained fearfully. "We have to go now!"

Harry nodded. Hermione grabbed his hand in hers and promptly disapparated to the house that she had recently been in. Her feet touched the floor and she gasped aloud. It looked nothing like it had when she and Draco had come to talk to Narcissa. All the furniture was overturned and destroyed. The paintings and pictures had been slashed through and the frames broken, the carpet was stained with something that looked an awful lot like blood and there were spots where it had obviously been burned through. They rounded the corner into the family room and even Harry gasped this time. Written on the wall in sticky oozing blood where the words _BLOOD TRAITORS._ Narcissa Malfoy lay dead at the foot of the wall, but the other two Malfoys were nowhere to be found. Suddenly there was a large blast from around the corner, and the two men in question bolted into the room closely pursued by at least a dozen masked Death Eaters.

Draco ducked as a bolt of green shot from a Death Eater's wand, narrowly missing his head. Hermione's mind sprang into action and she fired a spell at his attacker, knocking the masked figure backwards and out the window. Draco turned, his eyes connecting with Hermione's for a split second in gratitude before throwing up a shield as another bolt of green light shot towards him, again narrowly missing him.

Hermione focused her anger onto another masked assailant, their small battle quickly becoming more heated and intense. Hermione saw Harry fighting multiple Death Eaters at once, his back set up against Draco's, each man fighting for his life. Hermione blasted her attacker, throwing him into the wall, then turning to help Draco and Harry. She started moving towards the dueling pair, blasting and hexing Death Eaters as she went, fighting to get to the young men.

"Hermione get out of here!" Harry yelled, his teeth clenched in concentration as he shot spell after spell at the Death Eater in front of him.

"Harry how many times do I have to tell you that I'm never ever going to let you do something alone?" Hermione shouted back, firing an attack spell at the nearest Death Eater.

Harry didn't say anything, just fired a well placed hex at his attacker. Hermione cursed another Death Eater, moving closer to Harry and Draco. She turned at a sound behind her, shooting a bolt of light at her attacker. The masked figure was too quick however, and slipped easily out of the way. The bolt moved past the Death Eater and blasted Draco directly in the chest. He cried out in pain as fire coursed through his veins; his teeth clenched as he attempted to fight off the Death Eater that was now gaining ground on the blond wizard.

"Draco!" Hermione cried, watching in horror as he received a powerful hex from his attacker; falling to the floor, one hand still clutching his side. Her attention was quickly torn away from the blond wizard as she fought to gain the upper hand against another attacker.

Draco aimed his wand at the masked figure, still trying to defend himself. The Death Eater laughed cruelly, flicking his wrist and summoning Draco's wand to his hand; leaving him completely defenseless. Hermione struggled to get over to him, but was unable to reach him, as she was blocked by a pair of Death Eaters. Harry was equally occupied as was Lucius; leaving Draco on his own.

"Ready to die traitor?" The Death Eater above him growled. "I wonder how it feels to die knowing that you betrayed even your own family, causing them to die with you. I guess you'll find out soon enough." He raised his wand, pointing it directly at Draco's chest. "Avada Kedavra."

The room flashed green as the spell hit it's target. Hermione's heart stopped, and that second of hesitation allowed her assailants to hit their mark; she fell to the ground as she felt blood ooze from her side, her head spinning as she watched the Death Eaters pour out of the room. She blinked and when she opened her eyes, the room was void of all Death Eaters. Hermione looked up, seeing Harry leaning against the wall breathing heavily; a large crack running down the lense of his glasses. She struggled into a standing position, walking shakily towards Harry. A stray pillow caught her foot and she fell forward, landing in Harry's arms.

"Merlin Harry," she said tightly. "What did we walk into?"

He just shook his head, helping her get back on her feet.

"A massacre," a voice answered from behind them. "Now if one of you high and mighty Gryffindors would like to help, it would be much appreciated.

Hermione turned to the voice, picking up her robes and running to the blond wizard lying on the floor. "Draco!" she cried as she dropped to the floor besides him. "Godric Malfoy I-"

"Granger, I know you're one for lengthy apologies and statements but now isn't really the time," he ground out through gritted teeth. "Not to complain, but my insides feel like they are on fire, so if you have a reverse spell for that or something…."He grimaced, his features scrunched as he attempted to conceal his pain.

Hermione's eyes widened and she reached into her robes for her wand. Wincing as she touched her side, she withdrew her wand and passed it over his chest multiple times; murmuring the incantation quietly under her breath. She finished the counter-curse and Draco's features visibly relaxed, though his forehead sheened with perspiration. Even though he was no longer in pain, he remained on the floor, his eyes shut and his chest still heaving slightly from exertion.

"Hermione," Harry said quietly, walking up behind her and crouching down by her side. "Hermione we can't stay here. We need to get back to Number 12 at least. We can come back later."

She nodded, touching Draco slightly on the shoulder to let him know they were leaving. He sighed and pulled himself off of the floor, averting his eyes from the sight of his dead parents; Hermione understood then that the killing curse intended for Draco had been intercepted by his father, who lay dead only a few feet away. Harry rose and extended his arm to help Hermione up, his face blank and void of any emotion. She lifted her arm, clutching his proffered hand in hers she began to rise, only to gasp in pain and sink back to the floor.

"Hermione?" Harry questioned, panic and worry lining his voice as he crouched back down besides the injured witch.

Hermione didn't respond immediately. She took a few deep breaths, holding her side tenderly as Harry and Draco hovered worriedly nearby.

"We should take you to St. Mungo's Hermione," Harry commented. "That looks like bad news."

That caught Hermione's attention and her hand flew out to tightly grasp his arm. "Don't even think about it. There's people there that need help more than I do. I'll be fine; I promise. It's really not that bad."

"If it's not that bad, why did it hurt you so much to get up?" Harry asked accusingly.

"I was simply caught off guard. I had forgotten about it and feeling it again just surprised me," Hermione replied, hiding her grimace as Harry turned to look at Draco.

"Fine," he relented, searching her eyes. "But as soon as we get back to either your home or Grimmauld Place, you're going to let Katie look at that. Deal?"

"Deal," she firmly agreed, allowing him to gently help her off the floor; positioning herself so that she could lean on her uninjured side.

"Are you well enough to apparate Malfoy?" Harry asked, looking over at the blond man.

Draco nodded, not wanting to seem weak and needy in front of the Chosen One. In truth, he did feel fine. After Hermione had released her demon curse from him, he had felt almost normal again. He attributed it all to adrenaline. In just a few moments it would all hit him, and there would be no going back.

"Let's just meet at number 12," Harry said as they walked to the fireplace. "It's easier to get people there than it would be getting to Hermione's place."

"That's fine," Draco agreed, watching as Harry slowly walked Hermione to the fireplace; throwing in a pinch of floo powder and disappearing with a small flash.

Draco turned from the fireplace to survey the damage done to the once gorgeous summer estate; trying to convince himself that it was just damage to the house, and that his parents weren't lying dead right before his eyes. He took a deep breath, scrunching his eyes shut as he heard the air rattle in his chest. He couldn't do this. His parents might not have always made the right choices, and there were times he had wished that they were not his parents at all, but they were still _his parents_. They were all he had in this world… and without them, he was alone. Draco saw the flash of the fireplace behind him, but it felt as if his feet were cemented into the floor.

"Draco…"

He heard the soft voice behind him and he somehow found the strength to turn around and face the speaker.

"Pansy," he choked, his eyes filling with tears as she ran across the room; wrapping her thin arms around him as the wall in his mind snapped, the torrent of emotions finally coming loose.


	13. Meeting for the First or Last Time

A/N: OHMYGOODNESS! I'm over the moon right now! REVIEWS?! FOLLOWS?! I must give shoutouts to you wonderful people who have made my life amazing! Thank you to _cmtaylor531_ and _falula_ for reviewing! Your reviews are just the cherry on top of the deliciously scrumptious sundae. Thanks to _AutumnRose12452, Girl from beyond, cheaky maid, cmtaylor531, dancerengland,_ and _falula_ for following! You guys are fabulous! Thanks to _TTP_ for the favorite! And finally, a BIG HUGE thank you to all 431 viewers! You all are the true MVPs. Thank you all so much for all that you do! :)

Meeting for The First or Possibly the Last Time

Sorry, another side note. I have finally figured out how to put in the separations between the paragraphs that don't go together, so now things should run more smoothly when you read. For those of you who are dedicated readers/followers, I feel the need to make you aware of this situation. School has once again started for me, and that means I don't have as much time to write and post like I did in the summer. It also means that when I do have time, it isn't a lot and it's far spread. With that being said, I am trying my hardest to continue writing and I will try my very best to update about every two weeks.

"If you circle that rug one more time…." Blaise threatened with a growl, glaring at Ron through his fingers.

"Oh and just sit there being depressed like you?" Ron retorted sharply.

"You know Ronald, the Malfoy's might not be anything to you," Pansy inserted. "But to some of us…. they were as close as our own families," she finished tearfully.

"Well forgive me, but I'm not a rather large fan of the Malfoy family," he sneered sarcastically.

"Ron, this really isn't the time for this," Hermione cautioned, tugging absentmindedly at the sleeve of her sweater.

He rolled his eyes and sighed flopping down in the recliner. "I don't even know why I came," he grumbled.

"You didn't even come to the funeral," Pansy glowered, brushing her hair out of her eyes. " _You're_ just here because the rest of the Order is."

"So that's why I'm here. Sue me," Ron groused, tapping his foot impatiently on the ground.

"Will you knock it off Ronald?" Hermione hissed, kicking him sharply in the shin. "It's highly disrespectful."

"Like I will stay awake at night racked with guilt about this," he growled, rubbing his shin gently. "I've never lost an ounce asleep over anything related to the Malfoy family."

Hermione's eyes flashed. "Whether you like them or not, it's human decency to be respectful at a funeral. _Whether or not_ you agreed with the deceased and their ideals."

"My deepest apologies," he grumbled. Seconds later he looked back towards Hermione. "I really am sorry 'Mione. I know I'm being disrespectful; it's just hard to get over deep rooted prejudices."

Hermione nodded, mulling over Ron's words as her eyes slid towards the blond wizard standing rigidly by the door. There were a few funeral guests left, offering their condolences and talking quietly with the new owner of the Malfoy fortune. It had to be hard on him; twenty-two years old, losing both parents in one day, almost dying himself, and being thrown into the busy world of the Malfoy fortune which his father had always controlled. Hermione watched as the last of the guests left and Draco walked purposely back towards the small group. His eyes narrowed slightly when he passed by Ron but he kept his mouth shut; tightening his silver cufflinks and calmly regarding the mismatched group.

"Did you see anyone suspicious?" Pansy prodded, running her fingers through her brown curls.

"So anyone related to him?" Ron added under his breath. This time Harry kicked him.

Draco obviously heard the comment, but chose to ignore the obnoxious red-head. "None of the Death Eaters showed up Pansy."

"Well why not?" Ron questioned sarcastically. "That would have made our lives so much easier."

"Did you really think they would show?" Draco asked sharply, turning his icy gaze towards Ron. "Why would you go the funeral of someone who you killed? That's like taking out a loan from the back you robbed. In case you didn't already know Weasley; _they wanted my parents dead_. They wanted _me_ dead, and I have a guess that they _still_ want me dead. I don't really think they're in the mood to be attending funerals any time soon."

Ron said nothing, but held Draco's gaze steadily with his own. "Personally, I don't think many people attended the funeral at all Malfoy."

Draco quirked his eyebrow slightly, angling his stance so he was staring Ron right in the eye. "I'm wondering how you think you know that Weasley, considering the fact that you didn't attend. Oh wait. You were never invited. On that same thought; why don't you exit my home, since you weren't exactly invited to be here either."

His sentence lingered heavily in the air, his grey eyes still locked with Ron's blue ones. "Have a nice life ferret," Ron hissed, throwing his cloak around his shoulders and striding from Malfoy Manor.

Draco watched Ron's exit momentarily before turning his cold gaze back to the remaining bunch. "You are _all_ invited to follow in Mr. Weasley's footsteps." He gave a brief, bitter smile then left the room without another word.

...

Hermione finished up her paperwork at the Ministry earlier than she had planned the next day. She had wrapped up everything to do with the deaths of Mr. and Mrs. Lucius Malfoy and had it all ready to be sent to Kingsley and his office for review. She sighed and sat down heavily in her office chair, tapping her fingers lightly on her desk. When she'd been promoted, Pamela had gotten transferred over to Ron and the rest of the department…. And if Hermione was honest, she missed the company of the young witch. She sighed again and flipped through a file without looking at it; she needed something to do or she was going to go crazy. Making up her mind she got up and left her office, walking leisurely to the lift and taking it down to the atrium, where she quickly disappeared in the throng of witches and wizards; emerging outside the Ministry moments later, pausing to reconsider her decision.

 _Come on Hermione_ , she chastised herself. _It's not a big deal. Just go._

She set her jaw and walked briskly along the sidewalk, twirling her wand gently in her robe pocket. Hermione stopped outside the main doors of a large glass building, questioning herself again. _Why did she even care?_

 _..._

Draco cleared his throat slightly at the knock on his office door. He glanced up at the door, then back down at his pile of paperwork. He rolled his eyes as the second knock sounded against the door. Sighing, he returned to his papers.

"Alright. I knocked twice which is the exact number you set for someone to enter your office after knocking."

Draco kept his eyes on his paper. "What in Merlin's name could you possibly need Collins?"

"Oh it's not something I need," the young man replied with a self-assured smile. "And it's Austin. I'm not fond of being called by my last name if you remember."

Draco leaned back heavily in his chair, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I am perfectly aware Mr. Collins, however seeing as this is a professional business, your request is being denied."

"Yeah I know," Austin sighed good-naturedly. "Just thought I'd try again."

"It must be my lucky day then," Draco responded drily. "Why are you really in my office?"

The young man looked confused for a moment, and then his face light up. "Right! Someone is here to see you."

"Wonderful. Tell them I'm busy," he said bluntly, returning to his paperwork.

"This should be good," Austin said on his way out, closing the door behind him.

Draco sighed. "I really need to get myself someone different for the front desk." He got up from his chair and went to the cabinet behind his desk; removing an intricate glass bottle filled with amber liquid and placing it gently on the desk. He poured himself a glass and returned to his paperwork, only to be interrupted by another unwelcomed knock on his office door. He shook his head and ignored it, continuing to work. He groaned inwardly as he heard his office door open and a set of footsteps enter the room.

"Draco?"

His brow furrowed slightly and his quill paused. Collins knew better than to call him by his given first name…so who could possibly…?

"Granger," he acknowledged, looking up from the stack of parchments. "Whatever you're here for, it really isn't the best time. I'm a trifle preoccupied tying up some loose ends."

Hermione cleared her throat slightly and slipped her hand from her robe pocket. "That's partially why I'm here. I know you probably don't want to admit it, but paperwork can be a killer and… I um… thought you might need… or I guess want some help."

Draco just looked at her, unsure of what to think. Hermione stared at the gloss on her flats, not wanting to meet his eyes. If she would have, she would have seen him staring at her, a rather confused and almost hurt expression on his face. He shook his head quickly, his face clearing and taking on a blank expression; hiding everything behind his steely grey eyes. He cleared his throat, causing Hermione to look up.

"I… suppose you could stay… if you feel inclined to do so," Draco replied evenly, tilting his head towards one of the grey cushioned chairs against the wall.

Hermione smiled, the edges of her eyes crinkling slightly as she waved her wand to slide a chair over by the desk. "I know that the paperwork for your company is something you should look at, but I also know that legal paperwork for things like your parent's assets and such is relatively easy to figure out. Would you mind if I dug through those ones so you can focus on your business paperwork."

Draco stared back at her, slightly wide-eyed but nodded in confirmation. Hermione smiled again and flipped through the stack of legal paperwork sitting on the corner of the desk. "This is quite a bit of paperwork…"

He nodded again, draining the cup that had almost been forgotten on the side of the desk. "You don't have to actually do any of that."

"I _want_ to though," Hermione replied, biting the edge of her lip as she started filling out the top sheet.

Draco just sighed, and went back to filling out his own stack of paperwork. They sat in silence, each one working quietly and efficiently. It had been silent for almost three hours, when Hermione broke it.

"Fate really hasn't been kind to us has it?" she asked quietly, staring blankly at the form in front of her.

"Pardon?"

"Just the way everything has turned out," Hermione repeated. "It's almost like fate had us grow up before we were ready. And it just seems to keep happening."

"What makes you say that?" Draco asked quietly, looking up at the amber-haired witch.

Hermione was silent for a moment; a pensive look on her face. "We were thrown into a world that was still recovering from a war. People's prejudices still remained, and there was still lingering fear of evil. I didn't know about all of it until Hogwarts…. but you grew up in it. You knew about all the prejudices and the hatred. Each year at Hogwarts things just got worse and worse. Things happened and people changed… I mean, as a twelve year old girl, I was petrified. At thirteen, I almost got eaten by a werewolf who also happened to be my teacher, and I helped a wanted criminal escape. When I was fourteen, I was frozen and stuck in a lake. Things just kept building up and causing us to take on responsibility and knowledge that we shouldn't have needed to. Because of that, we did things we might not have done if we had grown up in different circumstances."

"You really think we would have acted differently based on our situations?" Draco asked, a bitterness lacing his words.

"Absolutely," Hermione responded without hesitation. "I don't think I would be the same person I am right now if I hadn't become friends with Harry. I don't think I would even be the same if I hadn't been sorted into Gryffindor. You wouldn't be the same had you been sorted into a house other than Slytherin. I have no doubts that you would be a different person if you hadn't been born a Malfoy. Different circumstances mold different people...and each person deals with things differently than the next."

She finished and rose from her seat, walking over to one of the large windows. Draco hesitated, but followed, standing silently behind her as she stared out the shimmering panes. They stood in somewhat comfortable silence, content to just stare out the window. Draco's heart jumped in his chest as he felt Hermione's petite hand slip into his; however unsure he felt, he didn't want to let go.

"I wonder what life would be like if Tom Riddle had never become Lord Voldemort," she whispered.

"Don't… Don't say his name."

Hermione smiled, turning so she faced the blond wizard, gently squeezing his hand. "Fear of a name… Only increases fear of the thing itself. I'm not afraid of Voldemort Draco…. and you shouldn't be either," she said softly, her heart whizzing through her chest.

"I don't think it's something I can stop," he whispered. "It's like being afraid of a memory. It no longer exists in the present, but you can never escape it."

"Maybe that's why we are always creating new memories," Hermione replied gently. "To cover up the old ones and receive happiness from the new."

"And if the new memories incite the same reaction as the old?" Draco questioned, his icy marble colored eyes searching her warm amber ones.

Hermione stopped, a pensive look upon her face. "I guess you just...keep trying to make happy ones Draco. That's what life is about isn't it? To try and live our lives in such a way that our memories bring us back to all of our happier times."

Draco nodded, a hint of a smile playing around his face. "That's the third time today that you've used my name Granger. Why the change?"

Hermione blushed slightly, looking down at their entwined fingers. "I realized that life is too short and goes by too quickly to hold onto petty disagreements and old prejudices. I just want to make the best of what I have, and not leave here with any regrets."

"That's an awful lot of deep wisdom Granger," Draco laughed softly. "Wherever did you pull it all from?"

"Oh you know. I must've gotten it from one of those dusty old books and stored it it my bushy hair," she joked, her eyes twinkling.

"You aren't the most brilliant witch of your age for nothing," Draco agreed.

Hermione nodded, the butterflies in her stomach causing quite the racket as Draco leaned down and gently brushed his lips against hers. The pair broke apart as the grandfather clock against the wall chimed three. Draco stood back up to his full height, and Hermione noticed the second his face paled; something that she had never thought possible.

"Draco what's wrong?" She asked, slight panic present in her tone.

"I forgot," he whispered, staring wide-eyed at his office door. "Granger you can't be here right now."

Hermione's brow furrowed and she looked at the Slytherin wizard in front of her. "What's going on?"

"Granger you're just going to have to trust me," he replied, dropping her hands and walking back to his desk; immediately beginning to clear any evidence that anyone besides him had been present in the office.

"Draco what in Merlin's name is going on?" Hermione repeated firmly, walking over to the desk.

Draco didn't stop in his effort to clear the space. "It doesn't have anything to do with you, but I can guarantee that if you're found here right now it could turn very bad for you, very quickly."

"Why on earth would it turn bad? We're in an office building!" Hermione protested before an awful thought crashed deafeningly into her mind. "You're not meeting with Death Eaters are you?"

"No," he replied firmly, shutting the desk drawer as an emphasis. "Granger, I swear on my questionable soul that I am not dealing with Death Eaters, but that's all I can tell you."

Hermione looked at him, a slightly hurt expression on her face; she didn't argue, but made no move to leave either.

"Please Granger. It's too late for you to leave through the door, and I don't have a Floo connection in here. Will you at least hide in the wardrobe so they don't see you?" She still made no move, so he tried again. "Granger _please_ do this one thing for me." He placed his hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes. "Please...Hermione."

That seemed to kick her brain into action and she made a decision. "Alright."

Draco's taunt stance seemed to relax slightly at her agreement, and he glanced at the clock. "We have to hurry."

Hermione nodded and walked over to the wardrobe; grasping the heavy silver handles and pulling the tall wooden doors open. She looked back at Draco, her eyes betraying fear and doubt. Draco looked worriedly back, reaching out to hold the heavy door open so Hermione could climb in.

"Go to the very back," he instructed, his face firm and resolved. He watched as Hermione walked to the back of the large wardrobe, her hands clasped tightly against her sides. Once she had stopped, he waved his wand and rows of cloaks appeared, concealing Hermione behind them.

"How am I supposed to know when it's safe to leave?" Her voice floated up from the back, muffled from the racks of cloaks.

"I'll come and get you out," Draco replied gently. "I promise." Not hearing a response, he closed the door firmly, making sure the silver latch was properly secured. Walking back to his desk, he took a seat and arranged the paperwork so it appeared that he had been dutifully busy. Seconds later, the office door opened and a tall, greying man entered the room, followed closely by none other than the Minister himself: Kingsley Shacklebolt.

"Mister Malfoy," Kingsley greeted him, clasping the younger wizard's hand firmly as he stood. "How is business going?"

"As well as can be expected Minister," Draco replied evenly.

Kingsley nodded, gesturing to his companion. "Mister Malfoy this is Carthur Benington, head of the Wizengamot."

"Mr. Malfoy," the greying man greeted with a slight nod. "I apologize for the slight tardiness in our arrival."

"Not a problem," Draco assured. "I've just been here doing paperwork all day."

"Wonderful," the older wizard said with no trace of humor. "Since you've been doing paperwork all day, I don't think it would be much trouble for you to sign a few things for me hm?"

"Not at all Mr. Benington," Draco replied, taking his seat again.

"The post I sent you just a few short days ago outlined the basic details of our agreement," Carthur started, pulling a stack of parchments from his briefcase and handing them to the blond wizard. "These are all the details… fine print that sort of thing. Since it's a rather large stack, I'll them with you to look over this evening, and you can either send them by owl tomorrow morning, or I can drop by in the afternoon. Your choice."

"I will send them to your office via owl," Draco responded, accepting the proffered papers.

"Wonderful. The papers outline everything you need to know. If you have any questions, feel free to send them with your owl or come to me in person," Carthur said, clasping his briefcase shut. "Oh, and Mr. Malfoy? If any of the rules outlined there are broken, or we have any suspicions...you will be immediately taken to Azkaban and there will be _no getting out_. Are we clear?" He stared coldly at Draco, waiting for a confirmation.

"Understood," Draco replied quietly, holding the greying man's fierce gaze.

"Wonderful," Carthur said, again without enthusiasm. "Thank you for your time Mr. Malfoy. Minister."

The man left without another word, leaving Kingsley and Draco alone.

"Listen Mister Malfoy, I really am sorry about this," Kingsley said, looking apologetically at Draco. "I know you didn't do this, but when the Wizengamot votes-"

"I know. I know how it all works Minister," Draco interrupted, twirling his quill lightly in his fingers. "I'm not going to fight it. If I do, it will just get worse."

"I wish you luck Mr. Malfoy," Kingsley replied with a sigh. "Merlin knows you're going to need it."


	14. Azkaban and Azkabanter

_**A/N: Holy cow! A girl goes a few weeks without checking her fan fiction account, and all kinds of good things happen! There's now too many of you to thank individually, so I'll just do this… THANK YOU SO MUCH TO ALL OF YOU WONDERFUL PEOPLE WHO HAVE REVIEWED, FOLLOWED, FAVORITED AND JUST READ MY STORY. You all are just amazing!**_

 _ **Alright, next note of business. I have started school again, and my classes are rather hard this year, and so I'm going to be focusing most of my time and energy on that. However, I will still try really hard to write and post as often as I can! I don't know how regular it will be, but I promise I will try!**_

Azkaban and Azkabanter

"You sure you're okay with this?" Harry asked again in confirmation.

"Potter, how many times do I have to explain to you that I am perfectly capable of shooting the Dark Mark up in the sky," Draco replied, completely annoyed. "It's really not that difficult."

"Besides the fact that only Death Eaters can set it," Harry muttered under his breath. "I wasn't talking about that though. I'm talking about the Ministry. Are they still tagging you?" He added, so Draco could hear.

"What in Merlin's name are you talking about Potter?" Draco sighed, facing the bespectacled man.

"Malfoy I know about the Ministry tagging you. Hermione told me everything you told her," Harry said.

Draco sighed in frustration, going over the conversation he'd had with Hermione so he could figure out what the bloody Boy Who Lived knew about his situation.

" _What did he mean he would take you to Azkaban?" she whispered, her arms folded tightly across her chest as she looked out the window._

" _I only go to Azkaban if I break the rules or if they see any suspicious activity from me," Draco responded quietly, wanting to reassure her, but not knowing how. "It's not as if they already have a cell reserved in my name."_

" _I wouldn't bet on that," she muttered darkly. "The Ministry will count anything they see as suspicious, especially in your case, which I understand could be me, and that's why I couldn't be seen. They've wanted the Malfoy's in custody ever since they had to release your father. The Ministry is done dealing with Death Eaters and they don't want to take any chances," Hermione insisted firmly._

" _Granger, they can't put me in there without any evidence. And as far as I'm concerned, they aren't going to get any. I'm sure you already know, but I've been playing strictly by the rules ever since the War," Draco reassured her._

" _But they don't think you are," Hermione exclaimed, turning to face the blond wizard, her face etched with worry. "They think you killed your own parents for Merlin's sake!"_

" _Granger it's not a secret that I didn't get along with my parents. To almost anyone, I'm sure the deaths of my parent's look extremely suspicious on my part. I admit that it's rather painful to think that my family's name has been torn down so far that I would be accused of murdering my own parents, but that's how it is," Draco sighed, leaning back heavily in his chair._

" _How long are they tailing you for?" she whispered, pulling the sleeves of her cardigan over her hands._

" _3 weeks. Then it's monthly check-ups for three months after that, grounded on my 'good behavior'," Draco replied, somewhat hesitantly._

" _How- Never mind," Hermione said, not meeting Draco's eyes. "I have to go. I'm meeting my parent's for dinner tonight."_

 _Draco opened his mouth to comment but Hermione held up her hand to stop him. "See you in three weeks."_

"Malfoy? Are you listening? Is the Ministry still tagging you?" Harry repeated.

"Potter if you had really listened to Granger then would would know that I was only tagged for three weeks, and it has been two months."

"I can count Malfoy," Harry grumbled. "I just wanted to make sure. Hermione would kill me if I got you thrown into Azkaban."

"Yes, because you would no longer have your insider on all things Death Eater related," Draco scoffed, pulling his wand from his robe pocket.

Harry sighed, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Are you really that daft Malfoy?"

"Last time I checked, I'm quite a bit more intelligent than both you and Weasley combined," Draco replied with a smirk.

"Well you must be daft when it comes to real world situations then," Harry said dryly, rolling his eyes. "Hermione fancies you Malfoy. I don't know how it happened, or what you did to change her mind about you, but something switched inside of her. I know you probably don't return her affections, but Hermione's affections are something that she doesn't give away freely. You don't have to indulge her Malfoy, but so help me you had better be on your upmost behavior around her. And if you so choose to return her feelings, but later decide that they are misplaced, _you let her down easy_. If you hurt her in any way, I will not hesitate to return the favor. Promise me you'll treat her with the respect, and keep her safe Malfoy."

Draco rolled his eyes in exaggeration. "Sure Potter. I promise. However, I can assure you that nothing is going to happen because of this little talk alright? Can we get on with what we came here to do in the first place?"

Harry cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Right. On with it then Darkie."

Draco glared at the Wonder Boy. "Call me that again and I can guarantee a very painful evening for you Potter."

"Alright ferret, I won't call you that again. Continue," Harry smirked.

"Potter, being evil takes time," Draco commented dryly.

"So does this apparently," Harry sighed, looking at his watch.

"Oh stuff it you wanker," Draco grumbled, running his hand through his hair and pointing his wand rigidly at the overcast evening sky. "Morsmordre," he said firmly, casting his eyes downward as green smoke billowed from his wand to form the Dark Mark high in the sky above them. "You really think that's going to attract Bellatrix?"

"I hope so," Harry replied, making sure the door to the abandoned house was unfastened. "Bellatrix is all for 'style' in her killings if you will. Everything she does is in the name of Voldemort." Draco flinched, his eyes still downcast, but Harry ignored it and continued. "She won't stand for someone just throwing up his Dark Mark. She'll come to set them straight."

"And the Order is inside the house?" Draco questioned, glancing at the abandoned structure.

"Yup," Harry affirmed, glancing around at the empty field. "We'd better head in there and get into our positions."

Draco nodded, following the Boy Who Lived into the rickety old building. "I have an inkling that she won't show Potter,"

"Then we'll think of something else. We can't just let her get away with this," Harry said firmly, walking towards the kitchen, where Ron, Katie and Pansy hid, waiting for his return. Draco headed upstairs to his post, his mind focused on what Harry had told him. He entered what he assumed had once been the bedroom, but looked as if it had been used for storage before being abandoned, as there were stacks of boxes and random articles of furniture scattered around the room. He headed to the back where a large armoire stood, accompanied by an over-stuffed armchair. Walking to the side of the armoire, he tapped quietly on the ancient wood, waiting until he heard an answering string of taps coming from the opposite side. Walking around the back he crouched behind the armchair next to the bushy-haired witch that plagued his thoughts.

"Did you finish?" Hermione asked quietly, keeping her eyes trained on the door, through the gap between the armchair and the armoire.

"Yes," Draco answered, glancing at the brown-haired witch, accidently meeting her eyes as she looked over at him.

"Then why do you look so concerned?" she questioned, looking back towards the door.

"I don't think this 'brilliant' idea is going to work," he answered bluntly, twirling his wand in his fingers.

"You don't think the Death Eaters are going to show?" Hermione asked, shifting her position slightly. "They love death. Hence the name _Death_ Eaters."

"Yes I know that," Draco bit back sharply, regretting it as he saw Hermione's face. "And I'm positive the Death Eaters will show up. However, Bellatrix will not be among them."

"Why not?" Hermione replied, turning away from the blond wizard.

"Because Bellatrix only devotes her time to battles she knows she can win. She won't come to something that she knows was planned ahead of time. It's not one hundred percent in her favor," He responded firmly.

"What makes you say that? Bellatrix loves fighting with people. It means she gets to use her favorite curses," Hermione said dryly.

"She won't. Believe me," Draco replied.

"Hey Hermione. Did Harry and Malfoy make it back?" Neville asked softly, peeking around the armoire.

"Yes Neville," Hermione answered, not taking her eyes off the door. "I would suggest getting back to your room."

"Right," Neville said, disappearing.

"Now," Hermione continued. "Bellatrix will be here, and this can all be ended."

"Granger, Bellatrix isn't coming," Draco re-iterated.

"What in Merlin's name are you talking about?" Hermione said. "I've dealt with Death Eaters plenty of times. I know what goes down."

"Oh really? Because you and the Disaster Duo always had the upper hand in everything you did," Draco hissed. "Believe me Granger, you haven't seen half of what Death Eaters are capable of."

"Yeah right," Hermione hissed back. "You've only dealt with Death Eaters on the 'giving' end. Never the receiving one. You don't know anything about this."

"Really Granger?" he replied flatly. "You think I've never been on the receiving end of the Death Eater's punishments? Don't you remember my assignment from the Dark Lord? Do you truly think I chose to join The Dark Lord's ranks? Do you think I chose to receive the assignment? You think I wasn't threatened into that? Granger, my life and the life of my family was on the line for that assignment and we paid for my failure dearly afterwards. I think I have an inkling of understanding when it comes to being on the receiving end."

"That's not half as bad as what Harry, Ron and I went through. Not to mention all the countless people Voldemort has tortured and killed," Hermione growled.

"My parents were murdered because of the things they did Granger," Draco seethed. "They were murdered by the same people they served besides; in the same of the person they swore their lives to. That's more of a receiving end of the Death Eater's gifts than you've ever gotten. At least you still have your family."

Hermione paled and sucked in a sharp breath, gripping her wand tightly as they heard the front door crash open and hundreds of footsteps flooding into the house.

...

...

...

"I wish this was an appropriate time to say I told you so," Draco hissed through gritted teeth.

""I'd consider it pretty appropriate," Blaise replied in a strained voice, his breathing slightly labored. "I'm already choosing some choice words myself."

"You're being a lovely pessimistic ray of sunshine," Katie commented as she reappeared with an armful of potions.

"Hello, I'm Blaise and I'm a Slytherin. What else is new?" Blaise groaned, while Katie rolled his eyes.

"This might hurt," she said without emotion as she grabbed his arm, ignoring the pained animalistic sounds coming from the dark-haired Slytherin.

""Wonderful," Blaise drawled sarcastically, turning his attention back to Draco. "Where's Potter? I'd like to bite off his head right about now."

"Considering his suicidal tendencies, I'm guessing that he's off attempting another way to die," Draco growled. "Is it possible for you to do that any more roughly?" he spat at the mediwitch pulling large shards of glass from his arm. The mediwitch remained silent, using one arm to hand him a small potion bottle.

"Blaise honey, you're knuckles are pure white," Pansy said slowly, a worried smile on her face as she entered the room.

"Honey?!" Draco laughed cruelly. "That's adorable."

"Shut it blondie," Blaise spat, glaring daggers at the Slytherin. "Do you want me to bust your arm up?"

"Will you stop moving?" Katie requested, standing bored with her hand akimbo on her waist. "If you want your arm to function again any time soon, you might want to quit wiggling like a child."

"What's wrong with his arm?" Pansy questioned, standing nervously to the side.

"Think about it this way," Katie offered, grabbing Blaise's arm and flipping it over.

Pansy turned an odd color of green and Draco suddenly found his blood stained trousers very interesting at the sight of Blaise's mangled arm. "You can fix that right?" Pansy asked weakly, sitting on the edge of the hospital bed.

"Of course I can," Katie replied without hesitation. "If he'll stop moving around that is," she added, looking pointedly at Blaise.

"How he can even move with ninety percent of his bone sticking straight out is beyond me," George commented from his seat across the room, where another medi-witch was popping his knee back into place.

"Just fix it," Blaise interjected faintly. "The room is looking rather splotchy."

"Is he going to be alright," Pansy fretted, sliding her small hand into his uninjured one.

"It's just some broken bones Pansy," Katie reassured. "He'll be alright. His arm will be weak and sore for a few days afterwards, but he'll be able to use it again."

Pansy nodded fretfully, keeping her hand firmly in Blaise's as Katie worked. The medi-witch helping Draco finally finished her task of removing the shards of glass and wood from his arm; waving her wand lightly to wrap it with a clean bandage.

"Thanks for being such a good patient," she commented sarcastically, wiping her hands off on her white apron. "You can go."

Draco nodded curtly to the witch, pulling himself out of the chair and exiting the ward, only to be greeted by Harry.

"What do you want Potter? Don't you think you've done enough damage today?" he asked bluntly, continuing to walk past the shorter man.

"Well I was going to ask if everyone was alright, but seeing as you're alive and being rude again, I'm going to assume yes," Harry replied, rolling his eyes. "I'm going to leave you and your bad mood to your lonesome," he added, sidestepping the blond Slytherin and walking into the ward.

"Enjoy the sight of your stupid decisions Potter," Draco muttered under his breath, as he again began his walk away from the ward.

"Hey," he heard quietly behind him. He sighed, turning around to face the owner of the soft voice.

"How's your arm?" Draco questioned, slightly avoiding her gaze.

"It's fine," Hermione replied. "I have to keep it in a sling for a couple of days just so they can make sure it finishes healing properly."

"Didn't they fix that?" He said, trying to keep the concern out of his voice.

"They fixed the break in the bone," Hermione reassured. "It just needs some time for the surrounding area to heal."

"Good," Draco said, turning to leave.

"Wait," Hermione said suddenly, taking a step towards him. "I'm really sorry about what I said. I know you probably think I'm a heartless freak, but I just… I don't even have an excuse for what I said. I am… so so sorry," she finished quietly, choking slightly on her words.

Draco remained silent, but raised his eyes to meet Hermione's. "It's in the past Granger," he finally replied. "Let's just, move on."

Hermione nodded, her eyes glistening slightly. "Did they get all of the glass out of your arm?"

"That and parts of my actual arm," he scoffed, rolling his eyes. "But yes. I think they got all of the glass out."

"I'm glad," Hermione smiled. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Fire away," Draco replied, looking amused.

"When we were fighting in the abandoned house, I'm almost positive that I saw Theo Nott," Hermione said slowly, glancing back at Draco as she continued walking down the long hallway.

Draco cleared his throat, keeping his face impassive. "That's not surprising Granger. Theodore is a very well-known Death Eater."

"I'm aware of that," Hermione replied. "But I could have sworn that when we were fighting, he turned towards you, but he didn't shoot anything at you. In fact, it looked an awful lot like you had had some sort of previous agreement. You wouldn't happen to know what that was about would you?" she finished, looking at him with a smirk.

"Theo and I were friends in school Granger," Draco said with a shrug. "Our families were very close."

"Still. You're not a Death Eater anymore and he is. Is school friendship really enough to keep him from killing you?" Hermione questioned, a bitter tone lacing her words.

"Is school _hatred_ enough to keep two people from becoming good acquaintances?" Draco asked from behind her, instantly regretting it.

Hermione turned around, surprise written on her face. "I guess you're right," she murmured, a small smile on her face. She walked back a few paces until she was standing directly in front of him. "We seemed to have overcome our differences, so why should different paths in life alter your friendship with Theodore?" Hermione hesitated, taking a deep breath as she considered her next words. "You're a good man Draco," she said softly. "I know life hasn't been kind to you, but I do believe that it has shaped you into the person you are today. So I guess what I'm trying to say is… thank you. For changing my opinion on so many things, and making _me_ who I am ."

Draco's throat constricted as he listened to Hermione, Harry's words replaying in his head again and again. _Hermione fancies you Malfoy. I don't know how it happened, or what you did to change her mind about you, but something switched inside of her._ He looked at the brilliant witch, his heart pounding loudly in his chest. "You're welcome...Hermione," he finally responded, a hint of a smile lining his face.


	15. Retour de la Femme Guerriere

A/N: Hey everyone! I've had time to actually work on this story lately because I've been home sick... :/ So that part's not so good, but it's fantastic that I got the chance to write some more! Anyhow, I'm taking French this year in school, so I thought I'd try writing one of the chapter headings in French! I'm sure some of you have noticed, but I'm not super good at coming up with titles for my chapters... so I tried to mix it up here. Like I said, I'm taking it in school, and it's only my second year so I'm not anywhere near fluent. With that said, if the title is completely wrong, please let me know and I will be happy to fix it! And for those of you who don't speak French, the title means _Return of the Female Warrior_ , which is what the name Bellatrix means. :) A continuous thank you to all of you who have taken the time to favorite, follow, review and read my story! It means so much! By the way, something interesting... this is the longest chapter I've written so far for this Fan Fiction! (It's probably also the longest author note... so sorry about that.)

One more thing, I don't own any of this. It all belongs to J.K. Rowling!

Retour de la Femme Guerrière

"Found what you're looking for yet?" Draco questioned, coming up behind Hermione as she scanned the rows of books lining the shelves of Malfoy Manor's extensive collection.

"No," Hermione huffed, putting another volume back in it's place of the shelf. "It's like your library is purposefully withholding information from me."

"That's impossible," Draco replied, rolling his eyes. "It's a library. It can't hide anything from you."

"Exactly!" Hermione sighed, falling back heavily onto one of the cushioned sectionals. "I've always been able to find everything I need in either my head or in a book. It's like my own personal claim to fame!"

"Well what happens when you can't find the answer in one of those two places?" Draco pressed, sitting down lightly on the sectional beside her as he flipped idly through a book that had been left on the side table.

Hermione didn't answer immediately, sitting with her chin in the palm of her hands as she thought, her forehead furrowed in concentration. After a few moments of thoughtful silence she lifted her head out of her hands and turned her attention back to Draco.

"What are you thinking about?" he wondered aloud, a small smirk on his face.

"Just your question," Hermione answered. "My mum always said that you could find any answer you were ever looking for in three places. A book, your mind or your heart."

"That sounds like sage advice," Draco nodded, placing the book back on the side table. "I'm assuming since you didn't find the answer you were looking for in the books, you're going to be searching in one of the other two places."

Hermione nodded slowly. "I've searched the extensive catacombs of my brain for an answer to my question, and I think I've finally found it. Now I just need to convince my heart that my brain is headed in the right direction," she finished quietly, her brown eyes locked with Draco's pale grey ones.

"What is your heart telling you then?" Draco asked softly, his hand resting lightly against hers.

"I'm not sure," she whispered. "It's beating so loudly I can't hear much else."

"Then don't listen," he replied, gently brushing a strand of hair from her cheek.

Hermione closed her eyes; relishing the sensations his single touch sent coursing through her frame. The small distance remaining between them shrunk even further as Hermione leaned forward, closing the gap between them; their lips meeting, gently at first and then more firmly as they let their feelings take control. Barely thinking, Hermione let her fingers weave themselves in the soft blond strands of Draco's hair as she felt his hands winding masterfully around her waist and back; every movement and touch leaving tingling sparks along her body.

They were so caught up in each other and the moment they were sharing, neither one noticed the library door opening, admitting another person into the room. The figure watched for a moment, a smirk on his face before clearing his throat; the pair on the sectional breaking apart at the unexpected interruption.

"Since I witnessed the exact moment of your budding passion, I'm requesting that your first child be named in my honor," the visitor chuckled in a warm tenor voice.

Draco smirked, rolling his eyes as he rose; Hermione blushing a brilliant shade of red behind him. "Why in Merlin's name would I name my firstborn 'Useless-Twit Malfoy'?"

The wizard laughed good-naturedly. "Amusing, but you must be thinking of someone else to want to name your child that."

"Naming my child Theodore Malfoy sounds even worse," Draco grimaced, offering his hand to help Hermione from her seat, her eyes wide as she stared at the visitor.

"You're right," Theo admitted, his self-assured smirk reappearing on his face. "It just doesn't roll off the tongue as nicely."

"Theodore?" Hermione questioned, her surprise fading. "I knew there was something going on between you two" she said triumphantly, her eyes sparkling.

"Miss Granger," Theo smiled, extending his hand. "They don't call you the brightest witch of your age for nothing. How is your arm?"

Hermione shook his proffered hand cordially, her interest piquing with each passing moment. "My arm is fine Mr. Nott, thank you for your concern."

"It is my utmost pleasure to hear that you have recovered well," Theo smiled. "However I must request that you do not call me Mr. Nott. It sounds too formal for my tastes and an awful lot like you're talking to my father," he finished with a grimace.

"And here I thought you and your father were on such amicable terms," Draco scoffed, toying with the button on the sleeve of his dress shirt.

Theo sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Drake, you of all people should know about family problems."

The smirk fell from Draco's face, replaced with flashes of pain and sorrow. Hermione touched his arm, letting her other hand slip into his.

"I didn't mean it like that mate," Theo said quietly. "I'm sorry about what happened to your folks. I give my word that I had no part in it."

"I know," Draco replied, a sad smile on his face. "What can I do for you Theo?"

"I came to update you on our uh… Bellatrix situation," Theo said grimly, taking a seat on the nearest armchair.

"So what's the update? Did she actually come to Potter's ridiculous set up?" Draco questioned, taking his seat back on the sectional; Hermione sitting down lightly next to him.

Theo nodded, shrugging off his dark robes. "She was there alright. I don't know what part of the house though."

"How could you not know?" Hermione questioned. "Bellatrix isn't exactly a hard person to miss."

"She is when you never see her," Theo said darkly. "That's why it's been so hard for me to figure anything out. None of the Death Eaters have actually seen her since she returned. She never talks face to face with us, unless she has a mask on and/or is in the presence of Rodolphus and Rabastan. Rumor is if she takes her mask off to talk to you, then you're toast."

"So how do you know she was there?" Draco asked flatly.

"Because she told us she would be," Theo admitted. "She's the one who led us into the house, but no one knows where she disappeared to after that."

"So what happened?" Draco asked. "You never share unless it's big or important."

Theo shrugged, leaning back heavily in the chair. "Bellatrix was killed."

"What?" Hermione said, her voice laced with disbelief. "How is that possible?"

"She let herself get distracted. As far as I heard it was Ginevra Weasley that got her this time," Theo replied with a sigh.

Hermione nodded, slightly confused. "Wonderful...but why is that bad news?"

"Because the Death Eaters still have the time turner," Draco said tersely. "As long as they have it in their possession, it doesn't matter how many times we eliminate Bellatrix. They'll just keep bringing her back."

"But you know where the time-turner is right?" Hermione asked, looking worriedly at Theo.

"No," Theo growled in frustration. "I can't figure out where they're keeping it. Everything we're doing is fruitless unless we can destroy that time turner."

"Oh," Hermione whispered, taking her hand from Draco's and placing them worriedly in her lap.

"Thanks for the update Theo," Draco said quietly, rising from the sectional. "I'll make sure to pass it on to Potter so we can figure something out."

Theo nodded, grabbing his robes from the back of the armchair. "Sorry it isn't any more helpful, but it's all I've got at the moment." He looked at his watch, grimacing. "I've got to get going," he turned to leave, but paused at the door. "Hey Drake, can I ask you something outside?"

Draco nodded in agreement, following the wanted Death Eater from the room; Hermione remained on the couch, her mind swirling with a sea of new thoughts. Draco returned a few moments later, a darker look in his eyes than he had sported before Theo had come.

"What did Theo want?" Hermione questioned, standing as Draco walked over.

"Nothing that would concern you," he replied, placing his hands in his pockets as he stared at her. "I think you should leave Hermione."

"Well most things Death Eater related do concern me," Hermione responded, reaching out to touch his shoulder. "They have ever since I met Harry on the Hogwarts Express my first year."

"This is different now," Draco countered softly, moving away from her touch.

"Draco what did he tell you that made you act like this?" Hermione asked, hurt seeping into her words.

"Theo doesn't have anything to do with this," he responded, his eyes hardening slightly. "We just can't do this Granger. You need to go."

"Granger?! You were calling me Hermione a minute ago. Something changed once you talked alone with Theo," Hermione accused, her temper flaring.

"Granger this doesn't have anything to do with Theo, now will you get off that mindset?" Draco hissed, moving away from her. "I'm trying to tell you nicely that this will not work. Will you please go?"

"What do you mean it won't work?" Hermione barked harshly. "Before Theo showed up, you didn't seem to have a problem with it. As far as I recall, you were just as invested as I was with what was happening."

"Can you blame me?" Draco growled, regretting his next words before he even said them. "When one goes without certain pleasures for extended periods of time, you take what you can get."

"Really? So that's what you think of me?" Hermione whispered, disbelief and anger lining her voice. "A tool you can use when you want and then forget about until you need it again?"

"What do you think Granger?" he spat, his eyes blazing.

Hermione's hands shook with anger and her cheeks were wet. "You really are a loathsome person," she hissed. "I wish I had never met you Draco Malfoy."

Before Draco could respond Hermione had turned and begun to exit the room.

"The feeling is mutual," he seethed, his heart breaking as he heard the words leave his mouth.

Hermione paused in her exit, turning and storming back. Draco watched her return, his mind already preparing his next retort, when she slapped him. The sound reverberated around the room and her palm left a red outline of her small hand on his cheek. Hermione paused, tears forming steady trails down her cheeks as she stared at the blond wizard. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but changed her mind; turning and leaving the Manor without another word.

Draco watched her leave, his heart clenching painfully at her retreat. He crumpled onto a chair, his head falling heavily into his palms. "Salazar forgive me," he groaned, the pain in his chest growing.

"Master Draco?" A small voice whimpered to his left.

"Rillie just go," Draco whispered, turning away from the small house elf.

"Rillie knows she must be going sir," Rillie said softly. "But Rillie brought Master things he is usually requesting when bad things is happening."

Draco didn't respond, and Rillie disappeared with a small pop, leaving the blond wizard on his own. He felt like jumping from the roof to end his torture as he heard the doors to the library bang open and three pairs of footsteps entering the room.

"Draco what is this slime ball doing in your house?" Pansy hissed, holding tightly to the collar of Theo's shirt. "We came to talk to you about Thursday and we saw this dimwit in the hallway."

She stopped when she saw Draco's pained expression. "This has something to do with Hermione doesn't it?" she whispered. "We saw her just before she disapparated. She looked awfully upset."

"What did you say this time?" Blaise sighed, shrugging off his cloak.

"I don't think it was entirely his fault," Theo grimaced, struggling to escape from Pansy's death grip.

"What. Did. You. Do?" Pansy growled, gripping his collar tighter. "If you did anything to ruin someone else's happiness, so help me I will curse you until your limbs fall off."

"Pansy will you cool it?" Theo hissed, finally escaping from her hold. "Look, I'm sorry for what I did when we dated alright? But that was almost six years ago. Can you just drop it?"

"What did you do to Hermione and Draco?" Pansy spat.

"Nothing," Theo said firmly. "I promise I didn't do anything."

Draco stood from the couch, facing the small group of Slytherins. "Leave him alone Pansy," he choked, his breathing labored. "It wasn't his fault. It's mine."

"That was my next guess," Pansy growled, glaring at Theo. "If _he_ wasn't here, you would've been my first. What happened? Is it to the point where it can't be fixed?"

Draco didn't respond just reached for one of the Firewhiskey bottles that Rillie had left on the floor. Removing the lid, he drained the container; letting it fall from his hand to shatter against the floor. "It's past that Pansy," he rasped, slumping against the wall.

Blaise remained quiet, handing the tortured wizard another bottle. "Things will blow over Drake… They always do."

Draco shook his head, the fire draining from his gaze. "Not this time," he whispered.

Blaise looked at his damaged friend, wishing he could do something to ease his suffering; knowing full well that there was nothing that could be done. He turned to Pansy, his mind racing. "We have to talk to Granger Pans."

"I don't think that would be the best idea," Pansy replied motioning towards the door. The two wizards followed her from the room, shutting the door softly behind them. "If Draco is reacting that poorly to it, I highly suspect that Hermione is handling it much worse."

Blaise groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "What did you tell Draco, Theo?"

"I didn't _tell_ him anything," Theo insisted. "I asked him about his relationship with Miss Granger."

"Well that was your first wrong move," Pansy drawled sarcastically. "When is it your business anyhow?"

"Bellatrix already targeted his family," Theo explained. "I simply wanted to know if he was serious about her. It could prove to be very dangerous for Miss Granger if Bellatrix found out about the relationship, no matter how small or serious it could be. She'll kill her."

"What did he say?" Blaise asked quietly, staring at the wooden pattern on the floor.

Theo blew out a long stream of air. "He said exactly what I expected him to considering what I walked in on."

Pansy's eyes widened and Theo growled in frustration. "Pansy, get your mind out of the gutter. I meant that they were having a bit of a private moment and Draco must have forgotten that I was coming." Pansy continued to wear a slightly horrified look, which prompted Theo to continue. "For Merlin's sake Pansy. They were snogging alright? Snogging. That's it."

The look disappeared from Pansy's face and she rolled her eyes. "You could have just said so you wanker."

Theo sighed. "I did Pans."

"Moving on," Blaise interrupted. "What did he say? We never got past what you walked in on because _someone_ was hung up on a different part of the conversation."

Pansy huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Well excuse me for assuming. That's all you boys ever talk about, so really, what was I supposed to expect?"

"Relax Pansy," Theo said sarcastically. "Draco didn't seem offended by the question at all. In fact, I think it made him think about the danger Miss Granger could be in. He said he really cared for her, and didn't want Bellatrix anywhere near her. So I said that he should suggest that she leave; Bellatrix is coming to Draco today, and it would not end well if Miss Granger was present."

"So he's finally fallen for her," Pansy whispered.

"Granger thought he didn't return her feeling when he told her to leave," Blaise added, the realization dawning on him. "He knew she wouldn't leave him alone to face his aunt, so Draco did the only thing he could think of to get her out."

"He took her ideas of their relationship and he crushed them. He made her never want to see him again," Pansy moaned, taking Blaise's hand and hitting herself repeated on the head. "We try and try and try to keep this boy in line and what does he do?! He goes and blows it all!"

"Don't be over-dramatic," Blaise murmured. "And will you please stop hitting yourself with my hand?" he asked, attempting to take reclaim his appendages.

Pansy stopped, looking apologetic as she let go of his hand, running her fingers through her hair. "Sorry. I just feel like we should do something."

"I wouldn't attempt that just now," Theo said tautly, his eyes trained on the stairs at the end of the hallway.

"Why not?" Pansy demanded. "We should be trying to help Draco, not just standing here."

"Pansy," Theo said sharply, pulling his wand from his pocket, and waving it over his face. "I would suggest keeping your mouth shut if you would like your life to continue," he commanded in a low voice through the metal of a Death Eater mask.

Pansy and Blaise got the hint, snapping their mouths shut and standing contritely against the wall. Theo buttoned his robes, sliding the hood over his hair, letting it fall over the edges of his mask. He finished, standing rigidly near the top of the stairs; his hands clasped tightly behind him as he waited. Blaise stood silently against the wall, his arm wound firmly around Pansy's waist, and his heart racing faster than he ever remembered. Pansy was white as a sheet and she was fighting to keep her breathing under control. Both of them jumped slightly as they heard a door bang open somewhere in the house. Seconds later a tall hooded figure ascended the stairs, coming to stop directly in front of Theo.

"Why if it isn't the young Theodore Nott," a powerful female voice echoed from behind a matching silver mask. "I must say I'm slightly surprised to see you here, considering the history between you and the heir to the Malfoy fortune."

"Mr. Malfoy and I may not be on good terms My Lady," Theo replied, his voice emotionless. "However that will not waver my loyalty towards you, or the completion of my task."

"Very good Theodore," the woman replied. "Is Mr. Malfoy in the library?"

"Yes My Lady," Theo replied with a deep bow.

"Wonderful," she answered, suddenly seeing the pair against the wall behind Theo. Gliding across the floor she came to a stop in front of them; their fear freezing them in place.

"Mr. Zabini am I correct?" she questioned, her voice smooth and powerful. Blaise nodded, keeping his eyes trained on the floor.

"Look at me when I'm talking," the woman commanded softly, reaching out to grasp Blaise's chin lightly in her fingers; raising it to her eye level. "It's a sign of respect."

"Of course," Blaise answered weakly.

"Of course what?"

"Of course… My Lady," Blaise corrected, praying that she wouldn't kill him for the slip-up.

"Good," the woman replied, turning her gaze towards Pansy. "You must be the Parkinson heiress," she commented, touching Pansy's short chocolate curls. "What was your name again dear?"

Pansy opened her mouth, but nothing came out except for a few haggard breaths.

"What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?"

Pansy looked at Blaise, panic shining in her eyes as she still couldn't make a sound.

"Pity," the woman said with fake sympathy. "It's a shame the heir to the Parkinson fortune is such a…disappointment."

She turned from Pansy and addressed Theo once more. "Theodore. Be a dear and wait outside the library for me won't you?"

"Of course My Lady," Theo said with another bow, holding the door open so she could enter.

The woman walked confidently through the door; Theo shutting it firmly behind her, and taking his place near the doors.

"Draco dear," the woman said in a strangely mother-like tone as she entered the library, walking to where the distraught wizard sat rigidly in his chair; an almost empty liquor bottle dangling from his fingers. "Draco," she continued, removing the bottle from his hands and placing it gently on the side table. "Consuming that much alcohol is not advisable. You'll get an awful case of liver poisoning."

"Bellatrix, get out of my house," Draco demanded, his voice raw and tired.

"Is that any way to talk to your last living relative?" Bellatrix asked, stepping lightly over the crushed glass that littered the floor.

"You are not my last living relative," Draco sighed, looking up at his aunt with hollow eyes.

"Andromeda doesn't count dear," Bellatrix replied, sitting down lightly on an adjacent armchair.

"I don't care Bellatrix. Just get out," Draco groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"Draco. Where are your manners? I know your mother taught you to respect your elders," Bellatrix reprimanded him sharply.

"I'm not in the mood to care about manners," Draco said dejectedly. "Nor do I care to waste what manners I do have on you."

"You may want to," Bellatrix replied simply. "I have a proposition for you."

"I'm not interested," Draco said flatly, rising so he towered over his aunt. "What I am interested in knowing however, is when you are leaving."

"I suppose I will be leaving once I have said what I came to say," Bellatrix answered coldly, staring at her nephew through the slits in her mask.

"Then get on with it. I'd rather not remain in your presence for longer than is necessary," Draco said sharply.

"Don't be rude," Bellatrix demanded quietly. "I am your guest."

"I didn't invite you," Draco pointed out, returning to his almost empty bottle on the side table.

"You don't need to invite family," Bellatrix said softly, walking over to stand closer to her nephew.

"You do if your family tried to kill you on multiple accounts," he replied, emptying the last remains of the amber liquid into a glass.

"The intentions of that night were never to kill you, or your mother for that matter," Bellatrix reassured him. "The plan was to eliminate your good for nothing father. He just simply couldn't be trusted any longer. He 'deferred' too many times without punishment. He did what it took to survive, not what the Dark Lord wished. Surely you understand that."

"I understand your issues with Lucius, seeing as they are well grounded. However your _elimination_ of my mother is another matter entirely," Draco said icily.

"Your mother's death was an… unfortunate necessity," Bellatrix answered. "Narcissa was so loyal to your father. It's an admirable trait of course, but it's so horribly misplaced when used on your father. No matter the choices Lucius made, your mother stayed unwavering near his side. I told Rodolphus and Rabastan to offer your mother a chance to leave Lucius and save herself, but she adamantly refused. Narcissa said she would rather die by his side than abandon him. That was her last chance Draco. What happened to your mother was her choice."

"Mother didn't deserve any of that Bellatrix and you know it," Draco said, his voice still raw with grief.

"Of course not Draco," Bellatrix cooed, her hand resting on his shoulder. "Narcissa never deserved anything that happened to her. She was a brilliant witch and she loved you dearly. You fought very bravely to save her you know."

"What's your proposition Bellatrix?" Draco said tiredly.

"Draco, Draco," Bellatrix laughed airily, walking over to one of the sectionals. "Come sit by me. We have much to discuss. You can even bring another bottle of that detestable liquid."

Draco sighed in defeat, walking over to one of his liquor cabinets and removing another bottle; holding it in his hands, considering his options. Making up his mind he turned around and walked back towards Bellatrix, sitting down heavily in an armchair across from her.

"What are you trying to rope me into now?" he asked, pouring himself a hearty glass of alcohol.

"Draco. This could be a wonderful opportunity for you. I heard how well you fought when the Death Eaters stormed your parent's home. Rodolphus said you fought with both strategy and skill, without hesitation or fear," Bellatrix praised, watching her nephew's reaction.

Draco stared unseeing at his glass; his finger tapping thoughtfully against the edge. "I'm flattered, really I am. However, this seems to be a pointless conversation."

"You _should_ be flattered Draco," Bellatrix cooed gently. "Your skills would be coveted by many witches and wizards; some of whom are praised by the wizarding world. They would die to possess the qualities that you have. We could use someone like you back in the Death Eaters."

Draco grimaced, downing the contents of his glass. "What makes you think I would _ever_ rejoin the Death Eaters after what they did to me and my family?"

"I know your experiences with the Death Eaters were less than you expected when you were a member before," Bellatrix admitted. "But I believe you could benefit greatly from joining our ranks once again."

"Bellatrix as I told you before, I'm not interested," Draco replied in an emotionless tone; refilling his glass once again.

"Really Draco," Bellatrix sighed, rising from her seat and walking behind him; her hands trailing lightly along the collar of his shirt, causing the hairs on his neck stand on end."What do you have to lose this time? You live on your own. You are your own boss at work, and your employees would never dare contradict you. Narcissa and Lucius aren't around anymore to condemn or sway your decisions."

"Bellatrix, I'm past that point in my life," Draco said hesitantly; mentally weighing the pros and cons of what she was saying.

"Draco, there's nothing left for you," Bellatrix whispered, her voice cutting through his inebriated mind. "Love ties you down. You're more concerned about their welfare than you are about what your task is or what is going on around you. It's hazardous to your health. Look at your parents and how their relationship ended."

"Bellatrix," Draco interrupted, trying to clear his mind. "What do relationships have to do with this?"

"Isn't that the reason you're sitting alone in a library on a Friday night, drowning yourself in a bottle?" Bellatrix hissed. "It's apparent that someone finally let themselves fall for you, only to leave once they discovered the true you. The wizard who is cruel, arrogant, selfish and cold tends to shine through once someone tries to get too close to you."

"Are you sure it's not because their lives are threatened by my so called family?" Draco snapped, his head starting to pound with every word. "You know nothing about my life Bellatrix."

"I do know that nasty splotch your sporting on your cheek is the result of love gone wrong. Draco, no one is ever going to want to be with you," Bellatrix scoffed cruelly. "Devote your hatred and self-loathing towards a good cause."

"Never," he hissed, throwing her hands off him and rising from his seat. "Now as I said before, get out of my house, and don't let the door hit you on your way."

"Careful Draco," Bellatrix sneered coldly. "Not many people remain that still care about you. I'd be careful what you say, otherwise that list will burn; taking you along with it."

"Threatening me isn't going to work anymore Bellatrix," Draco snapped. "I'm not a child anymore."

"You're acting like one," Bellatrix hissed, pulling her wand out of her robes. "Draco if you don't do this the only thing awaiting you is death."

"Then I guess I had better prepare my funeral robes," he growled, whipping his wand out and pointing it at his aunt. "You won't be invited."

Bellatrix screeched, firing a barrage of curses towards him, almost faster than he could block. "I will kill you Draco Malfoy."

"Running out of threats Bellatrix? You already used that one," Draco taunted, returning her slew of curses with a matched fury; successfully managing to trap her in a corner of the library.

"Theodore!" Bellatrix screamed, her hexes flying with a renewed fury as she attacked her nephew.

Theo heard her command, flinging the doors to the library opening, his curses combining with Bellatrix's as they shot towards the blond wizard. Draco clenched his jaw fighting back against the two powerful Death Eaters, hoping that Blaise and Pansy took the opportunity to escape. He hissed in pain as one of Theo's cursed connected with his knee, but fired back; refusing to give up. Bellatrix growled in anger, her curses flying faster and harder as she advanced on her nephew. Draco's shields were growing weaker, and the pair of Death Eaters steadily gaining the upper hand. Theo shot a final well placed hex at Draco, causing him to stumble against an armchair; his shields falling long enough for Theo to acquire his wand, leaving him defenseless.

"I should kill you now right now," Bellatrix spat, her wand pointed at his throat.

"Get on with it then," Draco panted, his eyes blazing.

"I think not," Bellatrix sneered, lowering her wand; promptly backhanding her nephew, sending him crashing to the floor. She watched in contempt as blood poured from a cut in his lip. "I'd rather watch you suffer." She took one last look at her pathetic nephew. "Toss him his wand," she sneered, turning towards the doors.

Theo nodded. "Yes My Lady." He looked at his friend, shaking his head as he tossed the wand down to the blond wizard. He paused for a few moments before turning and following Bellatrix from the library, shooting a sharp glare at the pair still motionless against the wall.

"Come Theo," Bellatrix hissed. "We have something else to take care of."

"Yes My Lady," Theo responded contritely, following the witch outside the halls of the Manor.

…

"Not your finest moment," Blaise grunted, hoisting the blond wizard from the floor.

Draco stumbled slightly, leaning against the wall for support. "At this point, I could really care less," he said defeatedly, passing his hand over his mouth to wipe away the blood staining his pale skin.

"That's obvious," Blaise sighed, kicking a stray cushion aside.

"Well will you stop fussing over me like I'm five and go deal with your girlfriend?" Draco hissed, wincing as he put pressure on his injured knee.

"Watch it," Blaise growled sharply, placing a comforting arm around Pansy who was currently hyperventilating into a small paper bag.

She lowered the bag slowly, her breathing still erratic, and shakily placed her hand on top of his. "No, its fine...I'm fine."

"You don't have to pretend you're fine if you're not Pans," Blaise reassured her softly.

"No really," Pansy assured him, color slowly coming back into her features. "I'm fine. I guess I just never realized how real this all actually is. I mean, I knew that we were fighting against all this and that there was always the possibility of one of us...dying, but today it just kind of hit me how absolutely real and frightening it is. We talked to Bellatrix face to face, and she tried to kill you Draco. She was _here_. In your _house_. It's been getting worse and worse since Narcissa and Lucius were killed, but now it just feels more personal. But I promise, I really am fine. We have much more important things to worry about now."

"We've always had important things to worry about. Now they've just changed," Draco commented drily from the chair where he had collapsed.

"Don't you have somewhere to be? Or a company to run?" Blaise asked snarkily.

"It's Sunday genius. A day of rest. So in answer to your question; no. I have no previous obligations today," Draco sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Besides, if you don't want to be here this isn't your house, so you can leave whenever it suits you best Mr. Zabini."

"Please stop fighting," Pansy pleaded, interrupting the bickering men. "It's bad enough that you were almost killed today Drake, do you two really have to row about it? What if he had died today Blaise? What if one of you dies tomorrow? Do you really want your last conversation to be a fight? Now would you two please knock it off?"

The two stopped, Blaise looked apologetic, whereas Draco had the audacity to continue smirking in the dark-haired Slytherin's direction.

"Good," Pansy nodded, rising from her seat and pacing nervously. "Now since we're on the happy topic of death, unfinished business and that sort of thing; Draco, you _need_ to apologize to Hermione and explain things before it's too late."

"I can't Pansy," Draco groaned, the smirk dropping from his face.

"Yes you can," she replied sharply. "This isn't about your stupid pride at this point. You were finally happy. I could see it, Blaise could see it, even the Wonder Boy could see it. You can't just throw that away because you don't want your image dented by apologizing."

Draco stood so he was towering over Pansy, but instead of exploding like she was expecting, he seemed to deflate. His features fell even further, his eyes dimmed and whatever spirit he had left, dissolved completely. "It's not like that Pansy," he said softly, his eyes lowered to the ground. "Bellatrix is not going to let this go. She's going to keep coming after me until she breaks me down, or kills me."

"What does that have to do with you apologizing to Hermione?" Pansy questioned, refusing to let it go.

"That's the reason she's not here now isn't it?" Blaise answered softly when Draco remained silent. "He sent her away so she wouldn't be in danger with Bellatrix."

"We're always going to be in danger with Bellatrix around," Pansy sighed. "It's not like Hermione is going to be completely safe just because she's not around Draco anymore."

"No, but she'll be safer alone than she would be with me," Draco whispered. "Bellatrix will keep pushing and pushing with me, but she'll kill Hermione without a second thought."

Pansy sighed, obviously not convinced; but Blaise jumped in before she could continue. "He has a point Pans. Granger might be safer if she isn't around here anymore. If she hangs around Potter, she'll probably be safer. I mean, they were around each other for seven years and they both made it; and Potter is one of the biggest targets in the world."

"Blaise that doesn't matter," Pansy insisted. "We're all probably going to die in this anyways, so we should live in every moment we have! This is the time to take life by the hand and run with it. There isn't always a second chance when it comes to love."

"Pansy, I admire you for trying, but it's too late," Draco said with a sad smile. "Hermione is never going to want to see me again; I made sure of that."

"But you could try and-"

"Pans...leave it alone," Draco replied. "Hermione was the greatest thing that ever happened to me, and I purposefully destroyed it. I know I didn't do it correctly, but what's done is done."

Pansy opened her mouth, but closed it seconds after with a sigh. "Alright Drake."

Blaise cleared his throat quietly as he looked at his watch. "It's late. We should probably be going since we all have work tomorrow, and from the looks of your floor, you're in for a nasty hangover."

Draco nodded, shoving his hands into his pockets. Pansy took Blaise's hand and followed him to the door; dropping his hand she rushed back to Draco, throwing her arms around him. "I'm so glad you're not dead. You're my best friend and I don't know what I'd if you weren't around anymore," she whispered, her hold tightening around him. Draco remained quiet, holding her tightly as her words and the heaviness of the situation fell heavily on his shoulders. "I'm glad I'm still around too Pans," he replied quietly.

Pansy took a deep breath, releasing him from her embrace. She nodded, a smile gracing her lips, although it didn't reach her eyes. Without another word, she turned and left, Blaise following; shutting the door softly behind them, leaving Draco alone in the library once again. He waited for the crack of disapparation before sitting back on the sofa, letting his head fall heavily in his hands.

...

"Theodore we have a problem."

"What is the issue My Lady?" Theo asked keeping his eyes trained on the ground, and clearing his mind. "It would be my pleasure to help solve it."

"Interesting that you would be so quick to offer your services," Bellatrix said, walking in a slow circle around the young Death Eater.

"Interesting how My Lady?" Theo questioned, keeping his voice impassive.

"It's interesting because the problem revolves around you Theodore," Bellatrix replied, twirling her wand lightly in her fingers. With a flick of her wand, his mask dissolved, allowing her to clearly see his face.

"Me, My Lady?" Theodore asked, keeping his voice light. "I'm sure I don't know what you mean."

Bellatrix nodded, continuing her circle around him. "It's become quite clear to me that something is amiss Theodore. It feels an awful lot like there is someone who is doing more than is asked of them."

"Isn't going the extra mile an admirable thing My Lady?"

"Normally I would say yes Theodore. However in this situation, I believe that 'going the extra mile' as you so eloquently put it, is not helping this person."

"Forgive me My Lady, but how does this concern me?" Theo asked, fighting to keep his mind blank and his tone even all at the same time.

"Theodore, remember the assignment I gave you?" Bellatrix asked. Knowing it was rhetorical, Theo remained quiet. "You were to watch the Malfoy residence and heir, reporting back to me if you saw anything unusual. In no part of our agreement did I say you were to contact the young Mr. Malfoy in any way."

"My apologies My Lady," Theodore said quietly. "Mr. Malfoy and I are old friends. It would seem suspicious if all contact between us was severed."

"Theodore. Draco is my nephew and for the better part of his life, I was very involved. In all those years I never once saw you and Draco together. It would seem that this 'friendship' you speak of is quite new? Recently developed perhaps?" Bellatrix said, halting in her predatory circles around him.

"It was mostly a school based friendship," Theo responded. "Our families were not on very close terms, so our...relationship was only carried on inside school boundaries."

"Interesting," Bellatrix said thoughtfully. "However we seem to be getting off topic. Theodore, your relationship with my nephew seems much deeper than school chums. Why would you be at his home in the middle of the day?"

"I was doing what you asked of me," Theo replied, his heartbeat quickening.

"From inside his home?" Bellatrix demanded softly. "Theodore, I told you I would call for you if you were needed. I hadn't called for you."

"I felt the need to be there," he responded quietly, his eyes still trained on the ground.

Bellatrix shook her head, passing her wand slowly over her mask; letting it disappear. "Look at me Theodore," she commanded, watching in contempt as he raised his head, fear lining his gaze. "Oh Theodore," she sighed, adjusting her grip on her wand. "I had such high hopes for you. Young, full of hatred and vengeance, looking for a worthy cause...You were perfect. You could have been such a model Death Eater. A beacon to other aspiring young witches and wizards who were attracted to the Dark Arts. Instead, you chose a different path. One similar to the one Severus Snape took many years ago. Your stories could have been so different; unfortunately they are ending in the same way."

Theo watched horrified as he watched her eyes darken, her face blanking of all emotion as she lifted her wand. He wanted to shut his eyes; not wanting his last moments to be spent looking on the face of Bellatrix. However, try as he might, he couldn't close his eyes. Bellatrix smiled cruelly as she watched the green flash reflected in his eyes; taking with it the young life that had shone there, only seconds before.

...

A/N: Sorry it's me again. This chapter was really hard to write, mostly because I had a very specific picture of how I wanted it to go in my head, and also because well, it was just painful. I mean come on. If I was reading this and not writing it, this chapter would have hurt my soul. Anyways, because I had such a specific image in my head of how I wanted this chapter to come out, I'm not sure about how it actually worked. So... I would LOVE to hear your reactions to it, and the things you thought worked, and the things that maybe I need to change. Thank you all so much, you are amazing!


	16. Fighting Fire With Venom

Fighting Fire With Venom

Draco stood over one of the lab tables at work the following week pouring over the most recent alchemy order from St. Mungo's.

"When we put these two together, they don't give us quite the result that St. Mungo's is looking for. It's close, but I feel like there's something we're just missing."

Draco looked up from the paperwork to the young wizard standing beside him. Riker Freeman had graduated from Hogwarts only one year previous, but he was one of the best employees Draco had, and he often worked on the orders from St. Mungo's. For some reason, this particular order had been troubling them for weeks, and he was exactly right. The potion was almost correct, but there was something definitely missing. "What have you tried?" He questioned, scanning back over the notes.

"We've tried almost everything, but nothing seems to get us to the outcome that we want," Riker commented, pulling out another scroll of parchment from under the lab table. "I made a list of all the different ingredients and combinations that have been tested, and the possible outcomes."

Draco took the scroll from him, scanning down the extensive list. His eyes lingered momentarily on one combination, moving on slowly, and then returning. "Riker, did you happen to try this combination with the one below it?"

The young wizard leaned over to see the ingredients in question, and shook his head. "No. We normally don't mix the different combinations because it makes them very difficult to duplicate."

"I know," Draco acknowledged, laying the parchment down on the table. "However, I think that's exactly what you need to do for this experiment to work out completely."

Riker looked at the list of ingredients, mentally calculating the outcomes. His brow furrowed slightly, but he waved his wand nonetheless, clearing the table of the previous project. Another wave of his wand and stacks of ingredients, vials and scales appeared on the table; arranged in neat, organized piles. "I'm not sure it's going to work, but we'd better give it a shot. It's one of the last things we haven't tried."

Draco nodded, moving the parchment to one side as the pair started working on the alchemy potion. Between the two of them, they had a cauldron brewing in just a few hours, the rest of the ingredients waiting to be added. Riker stirred the mixture seven times in a counter-clockwise fashion, then peered into the cauldron; a pensive look on his face.

"It does appear to have the color outcome that would be expected," he commented, scribbling something down on a rapidly growing stack of parchment. "What do you think?"

Draco looked up from where he'd been cutting thin strips of different ingredients. He looked over, then back at his notes, nodding appreciatively. "That's exactly the color you want it to be." He finished cutting, putting the knife aside and moving all the chopped ingredients into separate bowls.

Riker smiled, looking in the cauldron one more time before writing a long string of notes on the parchment, making sure to catalogue every detail. Draco was about to make a comment about the potion when a knock on the lab door drew him away. Walking to the door, he opened it and was surprised to see Arthur standing on the other side, an impatent look on his face.

"Collins," Draco acknowledged, stepping outside the lab and shutting the door behind him. "What is it?"

"Someone is here to see you," Austin replied, a quill scribbling away fiercely besides him.

"I cancelled all of the appointments I had scheduled for today so I could work on the orders we have to have out by the weekend," Draco reminded him, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I'm fully aware of that sir," Austin responded, an annoyed look on his face. "I've been dealing with the complaints and replies all morning. However this particular guest insisted upon seeing you."

Draco sighed, glancing at his watch. "How long do you think this person will be here if I go see them now?"

Austin shrugged. "Can't say. It depends on what they're here for. You're going to have to talk to them yourself."

Draco remained silent for a moment before nodding. "Alright. I'll go up now, but make sure that no one else comes in today unless they're submitting an order in person. We need to figure out the problems with the orders that we already have, and that's not going to happen if I keep having to meet with people."

"Understood," Austin replied, the quill besides him scribbling madly. "I'll inform Riker of the situation so you can get up there and deal with that."

Draco nodded appreciatively, pausing for a moment before striding quickly down the hall towards the company floo network. Sighing, he threw in a pinch of silvery powder and stepped into the roaring green flames; re-appearing in the hall outside of his office. He paused outside the door, pulling on the edges of his sleeves to straighten the creases in his shirt that had appeared during his work in the labs that morning. He sighed, realizing the wrinkles were determined to remain, and opened the door to his office. Walking in, he shut the door behind him and looked up; immediately frozen in place.

"Mr Malfoy," Kingsley said firmly. "We are sorry to interrupt your business day, however there are some things we must discuss."

Draco managed to find his voice; his feet taking him further into the room. "What can I do for you Minister?"

"Mr Malfoy it has come to the attention of the Wizengamot via the Department of Magical Law Enforcement that there has been an…. interruption in our agreement," Kingsley replied, a resigned look on his face.

Draco remained silent, waiting for the older wizard to continue; his heart dropping into his stomach when the other occupant of the room spoke instead.

"Mr Malfoy it has come to the attention of the MLE Department that there has been suspicious activity that pertains to the contract given to you by the Wizengamot and the Ministry," Hermione continued, her tone flat and emotionless. "Bellatrix Lestrange, leader of the renewed group of criminals known as The Death Eaters, was documented arriving and leaving your house this previous Sunday."

"Bellatrix Lestrange is a family relation," Draco replied, his eyes locked with hers.

"That was taken into consideration by my department," Hermione nodded. "However the other connotations of this visit outweigh the family obligation. Bellatrix Lestrange is a very wanted Death Eater who is known for her vicious and atrocious crimes; and you Mr Malfoy were inducted into the Death Eaters at the age of 16, pledging your services and your life to their cause."

"My family was pardoned at the conclusion of the Second Wizarding War," Draco said, knowing it didn't matter.

"Your family was given their _final_ _warning_ at the end of that war, upon the evidence of the assistance Narcissa gave to Harry Potter in the Forbidden Forest," Hermione countered. "However, your contract with the Ministry specifically stated that any continued ties with the Death Eaters or the suspicions of such, would result in your immediate imprisonment in Azkaban."

Kingsley nodded, once again taking control of the conversation. "Bellatrix visiting your home, whether you were present or not and no matter the reason for the encounter, has been deemed supposed Death Eater activity and a direct violation of your agreement. Effective immediately you are an occupant of Azkaban Prison."

Draco paled slightly, his heartbeat pausing as the words reached his ears. He wanted to fight it, to prove to them that his meeting with Bellatrix had almost resulted in his death, and that he had denied any continued association with the Death Eaters. Knowing it would get him nowhere, he nodded, resigning himself to his fate.

Kingsley cleared his throat, glancing at his watch. "Miss Granger and I are to accompany you to the gates of Azkaban on the hour… however Miss Granger would like to have a private word with you and since we have a few minutes allowance; I will leave you two alone for a moment."

After finishing his statement, Kingsley exited the room, closing the door soundly behind him, leaving Hermione and Draco alone; the space between them as gaping as a chasm on the moon.

"I need your wand Mr Malfoy," Hermione said, breaking the silence.

Draco remained quiet, his grey eyes trained on Hermione as he placed his wand lightly in her outstretched hand. "Why did you need to talk to me alone?" he finally asked, watching her reaction.

Hermione hesitated, her resolve weakening slightly as she looked at the wizard who tore out her heart; the wizard she still loved, but couldn't be with. She sighed, pocketing his wand. "Draco..."

"You put a ward scanner on my house," Draco accused softly. "How much do you know Hermione?"

"I know everything," Hermione replied quietly the last of her resolve crumbling as she heard him say her name. "I heard the conversation you had with Theo before...I left. I heard what Blaise and Pansy had to say about it, and I heard them talk with Theo after they left you. I watched as Bellatrix came into your house and I watched every second of your argument and the fight that came after."

"Why did you put a ward scanner around my home Hermione?" Draco questioned. "And why would you watch it?"

"Even though I hated you for what you said, I knew something had to be wrong for you do something like that. So I watched it immediately after I got home...I...I wanted to know, and I wanted to make sure you were alright."

"I don't know what to say," Draco whispered. "Apologizing can't even begin to make up for what I did to you. When it comes to bad ways to deal with things, this breaks all of the charts. There are so many different ways I could have solved that, but I chose the worst way possible. There's nothing I can do to fix that. The things I said have been on constant replay in my mind and they will haunt me forever; and I'm sure that no matter what you or I do, you will never be able to get the sound of those words and the feeling I gave you out of your mind. It will always be there; nagging at you, telling you that I don't care and that you're nothing to me. Those will never go away. I did something that is beyond unforgivable, and it kills me to know that I will never be able to fix it. That I will never be able to have any of what we had started to experience; that both of us will live forever, knowing that we could have had something truly life-changing if I hadn't screwed it up."

"Draco please stop," Hermione pleaded, tears shining in her eyes. "You aren't making this any easier. I'm sorry it has to be this way, but maybe this is better."

"How is this better?" Draco questioned.

"At least while you're in Azkaban, Bellatrix can't try and kill you," Hermione whispered, wringing her hands as she walked towards Draco until she was standing directly in front of him. "I know that doesn't make sense, but... she wouldn't dare try and break in there to try and get rid of you."

Draco paused. "Hermione, once you show them the full monitor, they'll never let me out. They'll use that to accuse me of real Death Eater activity."

"I'll get you out," Hermione promised; a single tear trailing down her cheek.

"Hermione, I don't deserve to be let out of there. I'm about as close to a Death Eater as you can get. And besides, after what I said to you, I _should_ be in there for the rest of my life," Draco said softly. "If you try and get me out, you'll be accused of cohorting with a Death Eater and earn a black mark on your record. I know it probably doesn't seem like it, but I care about you, and I don't want this to affect you more than it already has."

"Please Draco. Stop beating yourself up over this. I understand what you did and why you did it, and I'm putting it all behind me," Hermione fought back, reaching out to clutch his hand tightly. "I forgive you."

"How can you say that?" Draco whispered hoarsely. "I don't deserve any of this."

Hermione's chin quivered slightly and her voice was shaky as she responded. "I forgive you...because...I love you. I love you more than I've ever loved anything in my whole life, and no matter what happens, I don't think I can stop loving you. Trust me. Before I looked at the monitor, I tried to convince myself that you were the most despicable person on the planet, and that I was too good for you. But the more I tried to forget you and move on, the more it hurt. I've realized that I can't spend another minute of my life without you, and I don't want to try anymore."

"Hermione," Draco said, his voice raw with grief. "You can't feel like that. You were right when you said that you were too good for me. In a million years, I will never be worthy of someone like you, and it's eating me away inside."

"I can feel like that, and I do," Hermione insisted. "You are worth every bit of heartache and sorrow that has happened; but there's also been those wonderful moments that I wouldn't trade for anything in the world. And don't try and deny the fact that you feel the same way about me. I can see it in your eyes, and I can hear it in every word you say."

Draco looked into Hermione's warm amber eyes, his hands shaking as he wrapped his arms around her; holding her tightly against him. "Oh Hermione," he whispered softly into her ear. "You were never supposed to mean this much to me, and I was never supposed to fall so hard for you. But I did, and the truth is that I am going to treasure every minute and hold onto you for as long as I can because you're right; it hurts like hell to let you go."

"I know," Hermione whispered, her arms tightening around him.

"I'm sorry it has to be like this," Draco replied.

"It doesn't have to be," Hermione said suddenly, cupping his face in her small hands. "I promise I'm going to get you out of there as soon as I can."

"Don't do anything rash alright?" He said, holding her gaze.

"I'm the smartest witch of my age," Hermione responded with a smirk. "I don't think I've ever made a rash decision."

"Except for wherever I'm concerned," Draco pointed out with a small smile, his thumb brushing lightly against her cheek.

"I think I can afford to be a little rash when it comes to you," Hermione grinned.

Draco embraced her again, knowing that it could be a very long time before he saw her again. Glancing at the clock on the wall, he sighed, his breath ruffling over Hermione's hair. "It's almost two o'clock. We'd better go or you and Kingsley could be in serious trouble."

Hermione pulled herself away from his hold, looking at the clock herself. "I guess you're right," she whispered. Draco nodded, following her out the office; making eye contact with Kingsley as he shut the door behind himself.

"Let's get on with this then," Kingsley said grimly, looking at the pair in front of him, wishing he could do something about the situation.

…

"Find out who that girl is," Bellatrix hissed; pacing the room with quick, furious strides.

"Forgive me My Lady, but couldn't you have asked young Mr. Nott?" The masked Death Eater questioned.

"Mr Nott was in no position to give me the answers I needed," Bellatrix growled in response.

"What about Legilimency?"

"I am _not_ my sister," Bellatrix screeched. "Theodore Nott did not have the information that I desired so now the task has fallen to you, and if you don't want it or complete it you will end up in the same position as he."

"Yes My Lady."

"Find the girl who has captured my nephew's heart or your heart will never beat again."

…

"Mr Benington, this is ridiculous," Hermione fumed, pushing the file back towards the older wizard.

"What do you find so ridiculous Miss Granger?" the wizened head of the Wizengamot questioned. "Is it the fact that a grown woman is close to a full blown temper tantrum in my office? Because if that is the case; I completely agree."

Hermione took a deep breath, clenching her hands tightly to keep herself from strangling him. "No, I'm afraid that's not it Mr Benington."

"Well then hurry it up Miss Granger," he replied drily. "I grow tired of these constant chats."

"Mr Benington, you know what I'm here for," Hermione said firmly. "You've had that monitor for over 6 months, and you've seen it on replay over twenty times now. You need to release Mr Malfoy."  
"And why would I do that Miss Granger? Mr Malfoy is a Death Eater and Azkaban is where he belongs," Mr Benington sighed.

"You _know_ that's not true," Hermione fought back. "You've seen what went down in his home. He blatantly refused any contact or association with the Death Eaters."

"Miss Granger why do you care? It's not as if you have any personal ties with the man," the head of the Wizengamot replied.

"Mr Benington it's my job to work with the legal cases. I'm the Head of the MLE department, and I _cannot_ stand by the thought that you are keeping an innocent man in jail. It goes against every law."

"Miss Granger, this isn't a high priority for me-" he started, but paused as the door to his office opened. He sighed. "Mr Potter, I'd forgotten about our meeting."

"No worries," Harry replied, his hand still resting on the door handle. "I can wait outside if you prefer."

"That's not necessary Mr Potter," Carthur replied. "Miss Granger and I were just finishing. Weren't we?"

"No we most certainly were not," Hermione retorted frustratedly.

"Yes Miss Granger, I believe we were," he replied, standing so he stood eye to eye with the fiery witch.

"What's the problem?" Harry asked, looking between the arguing pair.

"Mr Bennington has had that monitor tape from Malfoy Manor for approximately six months, and he refuses to do anything about it," Hermione responded angrily, her eyes flashing.

"That's because Mr Malfoy is a Death Eater Miss Granger," Mr Benington hissed. "I'm not letting a criminal out of Azkaban because you are having some sort of teenage girl fling."

"It's not a 'fling' Mr Benington," Hermione spat. "It's the right thing to do! Mr Malfoy is innocent and you're holding him in there just to prove some odd point that you've made up."

"So what I'm hearing is that you refuse to release Mr Malfoy even though you've seen proof of his innocence?" Harry asked, his question directed towards the wizened old wizard.

Mr Benington rolled his eyes, his arms crossed over his chest. "Mr Potter, what is the point of this? You hate the man."

"I try not to allow my personal feelings to get into the way of my work Mr Benington," Harry said coldly. "If the monitor proves that Mr Malfoy is innocent; it is your civic duty to let him out."

Carthur Benington and Harry stared eachother down for a few moments before the older wizard finally relented. "Alright," he sighed. "I'll draw up the release papers for Mr Malfoy and have them down to your office after my visit with Mr Potter," he said, looking at Hermione. "I'm retiring anyways so this won't be my problem."

"Thank you Mr Benington," Hermione said, nodding the the older man, and shooting a thankful smile at Harry as she exited the office.

Shutting the door soundly behind her, she opted to wait outside the office; hoping she could talk to Harry once he was done. She didn't have to wait long, for a few moments later the door opened and Harry came out; holding a large manilla folder. Hermione turned towards him, glancing at the folder; her eyes hopeful.

"It's the papers," Harry nodded, a small smile on his face as he handed them to Hermione. "He already had them together. I think it was a personal thing holding him back. It was Mr Benington that was forced to let Lucius Malfoy out of Azkaban. I'm sure seeing the trouble that followed from that made him hesitant about letting people out of Azkaban; probably even more so when it concerns a member of the Malfoy family."

"Harry, I know you don't necessarily approve of my...feelings towards Draco but-"

"Hermione," Harry interrupted, holding up a hand. "Just because I don't enjoy Malfoy's company shouldn't affect your life. If you want to be with Malfoy, then you should be. It doesn't matter what I, or anyone else thinks."

"Still," Hermione said softly, a small smile on her face. "I really appreciate what you did back there. Lot's of people respect you and will listen to you. It would have taken me weeks, maybe even months more to get him to release Draco. So...thank you. It means more to me than you'll ever know."

Harry nodded, pulling Hermione into a hug. Patting her back, he moved away; a small grin on his face. "Alright, enough of the huggy dovey stuff. Go get your boyfriend out."

Hermione beamed, rushing down the hallway without a backwards glance.

…

Hermione stood rigidly in the waiting room; her foot tapping impatiently against the marble flooring. Her heart skipped a beat when she heard the lock on the door click; the door slowly swinging open to reveal a prison guard and his tall blond charge.

"Draco," she breathed, rushing across the room; wrapping her arms around him.

Draco didn't say anything, just enveloped her in his arms; his head buried in her soft curls. "Hermione," he whispered, pulling her closer and tightening his arms around her.

"I missed you," Hermione replied softly, pulling back slightly so she could look into his eyes.

"I missed you more than I could ever put into words," Draco said, his eyes scanning her face as if he was trying to memorize every inch of her.

Hermione smiled, her eyes soft as looked at him. "I told you I'd get you out Draco."

I knew you would," he murmured, tucking a stray curl behind her ear.

"You should go home," Hermione said gently. "I'm sure you'd like a chance to freshen up."

"I admit it sounds rather wonderful. Being locked up for six months takes its toll on a person," Draco laughed quietly; a sharp edge to his words.

Hermione paused, the smile falling from her face. "How do you-"

"Hermione," Draco whispered, his eyes sad. "174 days, 9 hours and 35 minutes."

"You counted all of that?" Hermione gasped, her voice raw. "Why?"

"You," he murmured, his lips ghosting over hers. "In case you didn't know, or you somehow foolishly forget; I am always thinking of you. You are the center of my thoughts every second of every hour of every day. Thinking of you is what kept me going...kept me sane."

Hermione's eyes glistened softly as she squeezed his hand, pulling him over to the apparation point; not noticing the eyes of the guard following them from the room.

…

Draco stumbled; his eyes clenched shut as he held his side. He hissed slightly through his teeth as he stood straight, running his fingers through his damp hair.

"What's wrong?" Hermione questioned coming around the corner, her arms ladened with parchments and her face lined with worry.

"Nothing," he responded, his voice even. "What do you have?"

"Just some orders that need to be finalized. Arthur dropped them off while you were cleaning up," Hermione responded, her eyes still full of unsurity. "Draco what's wrong? Really. I can tell something's up."

"It's nothing Hermione," Draco reassured her, flipping through the parchments, barely glancing at them. "Being cooped up in a prison cell isn't the most comfortable place. I'm just sore. It will go away."

"Didn't they treat you appropriately?" Hermione asked, a hardness to her voice. "There's a reason the Ministry banished all the Dementors from Azkaban."

Draco didn't say anything, and he kept his eyes trained on the floor; refusing to look at Hermione.

"Draco. What did they do to you?" Hermione asked firmly, her eyes blazing.

"They treated me as well as I expected Hermione," he finally answered, meeting her eye with a fire of his own. "I can't blame them for what they did. People are angry, hurt and afraid. Those emotions can make people do terrible things; things they would never do in normal circumstances."

Hermione's eyes still blazed, but Draco could see the dangerous anger drain from them; replaced with frustration and pain. "I'm so sorry Draco," she said softly, turning away from him as she sat on the small sectional by the window.

"It's not your fault Hermione," he reassured her.

Hermione turned her head back towards him, her eyes scanning his face. "Will you at least let me fix your rib?"

"Do I even want to guess at how you know that?" Draco asked tiredly, a hint of a smile lining his face.

Hermione shrugged, pulling out her wand. "It wasn't hard to figure it out Draco. Now please let me fix it so you're not hurting anymore."

Draco sighed heavily; instantly regretting it as a sharp pain shot through his side. "I'm trusting that you have some medical knowledge?"

Hermione nodded. "I did a summer internship at St Mungo's after I graduated. It was very eye opening." She stopped, looking hesitantly at him.

"What?" he questioned, sitting down lightly besides her; careful not to jostle his injured side.

"It's just…. Well…." she said slowly, mulling over her words. "I need to you take off your shirt," she finished quickly, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink. She looked down at her hands, embarrassed. When she looked back up, she shook her head; rolling her eyes at what she saw.

Draco sat on the other side of the couch, his shoulders shaking slightly with laughter; an amused smirk on his face.

"Why is that so funny?" she asked, absent-mindedly tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Why is that such an awkward thing for you to say?" he retorted smugly. "Didn't you have to do this all the time at St Mungo's?"

"Well, yes. I mean, I guess so," Hermione mumbled, stumbling slightly over her words. "I just… um I don't know it's just that well…. You know." She paused, taking a deep breath to figure out what she was trying to say. "What I mean is I did this for training, but never really one someone I actually know. I helped Ron once, when he'd been splinched, but that's not the same."

"Hermione it's not a big deal," Draco smirked; his tone bordering on a laugh. "It will heal itself. Besides, I understand that it's an uncomfortable situation for you."

"No it's fine," Hermione responded. "I'll get over it. You need help."

"Hermione," Draco said, his smirk dropping and his tone turning serious. "I really don't want you to do something you're uncomfortable with."

Hermione nodded, twirling her wand lightly in her fingers. "It won't take very long."

Draco assented, unbuttoning his dress shirt so Hermione could get a clear view of his bruised ribcage. She moved closer, placing one of her hands alongside his rib. She heard a sharp intake of breath and immediately withdrew her hand, looking up at him.

"Sorry," she said, her eyes full of worry.

"It wasn't that actually," Draco said, his smirk back. "Your hands just happen to be extremely cold."

"Oh. Sorry about that," Hermione replied. "My hands get cold when I'm nervous." She waved her wand over her hands, casting a spell to warm them up. Glancing back at him, she pressed her hands lightly against his ribcage. Keeping one hand on his side, she picked up her wand, passing it over his chest and watching as small orbs of light appeared. "From what I can tell you have at least three broken ribs, a few more are bruised. It's not hard to fix, but it's not going to feel good either."

"It will feel better than it does right now," Draco pointed out.

Hermione nodded, waving her wand quickly. She grimaced as she heard his bones snap back into place, accompanied by a muffled groan from Draco.

"Well that was….lovely," he commented, his voice slightly strained. "It does feel ten times better though."

"Really?" Hermione asked, hesitation lacing her tone.

"I'll put it this way," Draco replied slowly. "When I breathe now, it doesn't feel like there's a thousand needles puncturing my lungs and diaphragm."

"That's definitely improvement," Hermione agreed, a smile on her face. "You're not supposed to do any strenuous activity for a couple of hours, and you'll need something to eat. I'll go grab you something."

Draco nodded, redoing the buttons on his shirt. Hermione got up to leave; her foot catching on the rug and sending her tumbling back onto the couch, landing right on top of Draco. His eyes widened in surprise; then fell into an eased smirk.

"You do realize how incredibly cheesy this is right?" he questioned.

"What? The fact that I told you that you needed that to heal and then I proceeded to land directly on top of you?" Hermione answered, a blush rising in her cheeks as she moved off of his chest.

"Just the tripping and falling on me part," Draco clarified with a laugh. "It just seems like something that would fit perfectly into one of those cheesy romantic girl movies."

"I didn't know you watched chick-flicks," Hermione teased.

Draco shrugged. "I don't. But that doesn't mean I don't know what they are."

"Sure," Hermione laughed sarcastically; her eyes twinkling. "Nice cover up story."

"I have to keep some part of my reputation intact," He joked. "I'll prove it to you. I wouldn't even know what would happen next if we did happen to be in one of those fluffy flicks."

Hermione chewed slightly on her lip; a pensive look on her face. "Well usually it's starts out where the pair is alone having a conversation, or doing something fun together."

"Then what happens?" Draco asked, watching her face.

"Then they usually get into some sort of awkward situation that puts them in a situation where they can't deny their feelings for eachother," she replied slowly. "And then-"

She was cut short by a pair of lips pressed gently against her own. They broke apart, Draco looking at Hermione with a small smirk; his hand still resting on her cheek. "I had a guess about what would happen next," he grinned, watching as color rose in Hermione's cheeks..

"That was a pretty accurate guess," Hermione admitted, self-consciously tucking her hair behind her ear.

"What can I say?" Draco smirked, leaning back into the couch. "I'm naturally gifted."

"A natural narcissist is what you are," Hermione laughed, getting up from the couch. "Did you still want something to eat?"

Draco shook his head, fiddling with the ruffles on a throw pillow. "I can get something for myself later if I want it."

Hermione nodded, grabbing her cloak from it's hanger near the door. "I have to get to the Ministry. There's some paperwork I need to fill out."

Draco didn't look up as she fastened her cloak; sticking her wand into a hidden pocket; continuing to lightly run his fingers over the pattern sewn into the cushion. Hermione glanced back to him; worried. He was still healing after all… both physically and mentally. Making her decision, she unfastened her cloak, laying it over the back of a chair before walking to the kitchen. When she returned, Draco was still staring rigidly at the cushion, his damp hair falling into his eyes. Sighing, she placed the glass and plate of scones on the side table, sitting down lightly on the arm of the sectional. Hermione placed a hand comfortingly on his back, noticing his muscles relax almost immediately.

"I thought you had paperwork?" Draco questioned, his eyes still trained downwards.

"The paperwork will still be there tomorrow," she shrugged. "Besides, I haven't had dinner yet so I thought I'd have it here with you."

A small smile appeared on his face as he glanced up at Hermione, reaching over to hold her hand gently in his. "I think you're just staying to make sure I eat something."

Hermione laughed, running her thumb lightly over the knuckles on his hand. "Partly true."

Draco tugged lightly on her hand, pulling her gently into his lap as he wrapped his arms around her small frame. "Please stay," he whispered, burying his face in her hair.

"Always," Hermione replied quietly.

 _ **A/N: Alright, as Draco said in the story, yes I know this is incredibly cheesy. I wanted a little bit of fluff to break up all the sad and depressing moments. :) So I added some. You're welcome fluff lovers. Anywho, Again, I do not own any of this, and thank you so much for reading! Please read and review!**_


	17. Down With The Bloody Red Queen

Down With the Bloody Red Queen

Another vase shattered against the wall; the contents dripping slowly down the wall.

"The GRANGER girl?! The _filthy mudblood_?!"

"It's true My Lady. You knew that they were working together; and things like this often come from such partnerships. I saw it with my own eyes. They were in eachother's arms; he kissed her-"

"STOP IT!" Bellatrix screeched her eyes blazing. "I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANOTHER WORD ABOUT IT! Not only has my rotten nephew blatantly _refused_ to join the Death Eaters; he's lowered himself far enough to be with a _mudblood_. I want her dead."

"My Lady, if you kill her, it could drive your nephew over the edge. You kill her and he'll refuse to join you."

"We'll see about that," Bellatrix hissed, grabbing her wand from the side table as she stormed from the room; black smoke trailing in her wake.

...

...

...

"Drake, were you even listening to me?"

Draco glanced over at Blaise as they strode down the halls of the Ministry, wondering if he should deem that question answerable.

"I'm going to guess not, since you didn't answer me the first time and since you're not answering me now," Blaise continued tersely.

"I'm busy Blaise. Being gone for six months sets you back quite a bit. I have to catch up and as of right now, that means meeting with the Head of DIBB and going over the reports," Draco answered.

"Draco this is important," Blaise insisted, grabbing Draco's shoulder and roughly jerking him around. "Theo is missing. He hasn't shown up since you got thrown in Azkaban."

Draco paused, his eyes boring into Blaise's. "Are you sure? Have you actually looked for him?"

"Pansy went to his flat a couple days after your sentence. He wasn't there and it looked like there had been some sort of struggle. My guess is that Bellatrix got rid of him after they left your estate," Blaise answered, his voice low as a pair of witches passed by them in the hall.

"That's impossible," Draco countered. "Theo has been lying right under Bellatrix's nose and spying for us since after the Battle of Hogwarts. He wouldn't slip up now. He's been going at it for too long."

"Everyone makes mistakes Drake," Blaise sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Theo obviously slipped up somehow and it got him killed."

"Where would Theo mess up?" Draco growled. "He was just keeping up the ruse that he was a Death Eater. He was one for _years_ and it was all going fine."

"I don't know Draco," Blaise admitted. "But for your sake, I hope it wasn't something to do with you and Granger."

If it was something to do with Hermione don't you think something would have happened to her when I was in Azkaban? That would have been the perfect opportunity for Bellatrix and her minions," Draco asked, continuing to walk down the hall; his stride considerably slower.

"You're right," Blaise nodded, sifting through the stack of parchments in his hands. "I just wanted to make you aware that we no longer have an inside man in the Death Eaters."

"Thank you," Draco acknowledged.

"Sure thing. Now, speaking of Granger...how are things going for you two? I heard she was the one who sprung you from the tank," Blaise smirked.

"Aren't you a little gossip this morning," Draco said, rolling his eyes.

"It was Potter. We had a miniature meeting last night, and I asked where Granger was and he said she must still be with you," Blaise replied. "I took the implication in full stride and guessed that your relationship is...blossoming wonderfully." He shot Draco another smirk; one that would rival even the blond haired Slytherin's.

"Oh knock it off Blaise," Draco sighed, trying to steer the conversation in a different direction.

"So you're denying the fact that she spent the night at the Manor?" Blaise prodded, his smirk even bleeding into his words. "You're denying the fact that you two probably spent the whole night-"

"Alright Blaise!" Draco interrupted before his dark-haired friend could come up with any outrageous theories. "Yes, it's true that she spent the night. But _that's it_. Nothing else."

"Sure," Blaise said, his smirk deepening. "Since you're insisting that I drop it; I will. Just for you."

"Oh goody," Draco responded drily, hitting him sharply on the shoulder.

"Speaking of the object of your constant affections," Blaise said; nodding down the hall.

Draco turned; a smile appearing on his lips as he watched Hermione walk quickly down the hall, surrounded by other witches and wizards bombarding her with questions and reports.

"Here's the reports for everything you need," they heard her say as she came closer, handing out stacks of parchment to the surrounding crowd. "Have the final summaries on my desk by the day after tomorrow."

The crowd dispersed, some already looking through the stack of parchment as they left. Hermione sighed; looking up from her own parchments to see the Slytherin duo standing on the other side of the hall. Smiling she walked over, closing the file in her hands.

"Hey Blaise. Good to see you again," she said, pulling another folder from the stack in her arms. "I've got the file you requested."

Blaise's face lit up as he accepted the file. "Thanks Granger. I've been waiting for this for over a year."

"You're welcome," Hermione replied, shifting the stack in her hands.

Blaise flipped through the file quickly, scanning down the pages before closing the file and tucking it under his arm. "Thank you again."

Hermione nodded, waving her hand dismissively. "It was nothing Blaise."

"No really. Thank you. For _everything_ Hermione," Blaise said, his tone somber and his eyes holding a much deeper meaning than the words coming out of his mouth.

"It was my pleasure Blaise," Hermione said softly.

Blaise nodded once before turning and disappearing down the hall. Hermione watched him leave for a few seconds before turning her attention back to Draco.

"What are you doing at the Ministry?"

"I have to drop some reports and such off at the DIBB so they can have an update on my business. Only I'm allowed to hand in the report, so Arthur couldn't do it when I was gone."

Hermione's brow furrowed and she tightened her grip on the stack of folders. "That's weird. I didn't know they did that."

"There's been a lot of... fraud going on lately within the self-start businesses so it's a new requirement," Draco replied, shrugging his shoulders.

Hermione shook her head, her smile returning. "Well at least your business is still on it's feet after your absence. You've got some pretty fantastic employees."

"You're right," Draco acknowledged, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"You also happen to have a fantastic girlfriend," Hermione smirked, her eyes twinkling as she brushed a strand of blond hair out of his eyes.

"The aforementioned girlfriend happens to be more fantastic than she will ever know," Draco smiled, kissing her gently on the crown of her head.

"Get a room you two."

Hermione turned and promptly swatted Harry on the head with her stack of files; smirking as he flinched away from her futile attack. "Knock it off Harry."

"Hey, it's not my fault you two feel the need to proclaim your relationship all over the Ministry," Harry joked, jumping out of the way as Hermione swatted at him again.

"It was a kiss Harry!" Hermione laughed. "You and Ginny do it all the time when she stops by your office."

"Okay okay!" Harry said, holding up his hands in surrender. "I was just joking! Calm down!"

"I know," Hermione smirked, straightening her stack of files. "I just enjoyed hitting you with these."

"Haha very funny," Harry replied, rolling his eyes. "I suppose I deserve it though."

"I'll agree with that," Draco commented, his smirk even larger than Hermione's.

Hermione rolled her eyes; adjusting the pile in her arms. "What did you need Harry? Since, I'm assuming you needed something."

"It's not nice to assume," Harry teasingly chided. "I did need something though...or I'm here to ask a question? I don't know….Did you remember about that meeting we have?"

"The meeting?"

"Yeah? The one with the whole MLE department?" Harry prompted.

"That's today?" Hermione asked, her eyes wide. "I completely forgot!"

She turned quickly to Draco, placing a quick kiss on his cheek. "See you tonight?" She asked quietly, her eyes searching his.

He nodded slightly, watching her smile spread to her eyes before she turned and walked quickly down the hall; Harry trailing closely behind her.

...

...

...

"Drake seriously, did you see this?" Blaise asked, flipping distractedly through a witch weekly magazine.

"For the two thousandth time Blaise," Draco groaned from the lab station where he was working. "No, I have not seen it, no I do not want to see it, and yes I am still trying to work."

"Geesh," Blaise replied. "Someone's being snarky this evening."

"Blaise, shut your mouth before I shut it for you."

"Does this sudden sassiness and anger have anything to do with the fact that you're still at work and Granger hasn't shown up?" Blaise questioned.

Draco took a deep breath, letting it out slowly before turning to look at the olive-skinned Slytherin.

"Blaise. Contrary to you apparently, I have things to do. Important things which require my full attention at the moment. So, if you could be so kind as to seal your snapper shut so I can concentrate, it would be much appreciated."

"Yes your highness," Blaise scoffed, continuing to flip idly through the magazine. "But really. Don't you think it's odd that Granger hasn't shown up yet?"

"Again Blaise. Hermione has a job of her own; one that's time consuming and takes priority over other things."

"Including coming over here?"

"For Merlin's sake Blaise!" Draco growled exasperatedly. "Hermione was going to come over to help fix whatever mistake happened with this potion order. I told her if she didn't have time, she shouldn't come."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night Drake. Oh wait. She's not here," Blaise smirked, tossing the magazine over his shoulder.

"Blaise. I swear to Salazar if one more word about that comes out of your mouth I will hex you into oblivion. Now zip it," Draco said glaring forcefully at Blaise.

"Alright alright, I can take a hint."

"Really? Are you sure? Because I don't think you can," Draco replied snarkily, his eyes trained on the ingredients he was measuring.

...

...

...

"Okay, I know that you want to talk about your report, and I _promise_ that I'll go over it with you. But not tonight," Hermione repeated for what felt like the hundredth time to one of the newer interns. "I have somewhere that I need to be and I'm already late."

The intern nodded regretfully, making their way out of her office as Hermione fastened her cloak and grabbed her bag. She walked out of her office closing the door firmly behind her and started walking quickly down the hall, but it didn't take long for someone else to interrupt her.

"Hermione!"

"Harry," Hermione said, spinning around and walking backwards down the hall. "I would love to talk, but I really really have to go. I promised Draco I'd help out with this alchemy potions thing he's working on and I'm already late and I have to drop some stuff off at my flat before I go over to the Manor."

Harry nodded his head, keeping up with her as she continued to walk down the hall. "Good to know, but I was just going to return the file you gave me to look over...I finished reading it and my notes are on the last page."

"Oh," Hermione sighed in relief, taking the file he handed her. "Thanks Harry. You're the best. I'll read your comments after I get home from Draco's. I promise."

"Have fun Hermione," Harry said with a smile, leaving her to continue her walk down the hall alone.

...

...

...

"Okay seriously Draco. I know you told me not to bring it up again, but don't you think it's a little suspicious that Granger hasn't shown up yet?" Blaise asked, from where he now stood helping pour ingredients into a cauldron.

"Blaise. I swear you are a legitimate five year old. Stop it."

"I know, I know. But don't you think it's weird?"

"Okay. If I answer will you please shut it?"

Blaise nodded and Draco continued. "Yes, I think it's a bit odd, but it's Hermione. She knows what she's doing."

...

...

...

Hermione unlocked the door to her flat, rushing quickly around the room depositing file after file in their various places. She paused, her hand still on the doorknob to her closet. "Weird. My lights usually come on by themselves," she thought aloud as she pushed the door to her closet open and dropped her case unceremoniously on the floor.

She closed the door softly, glancing at her watch as she turned around. Looking up, she stopped; her face momentarily frozen in a shriek of terror.

...

...

...

Harry glanced at the clock on his wall, jumping slightly as he felt a slight burning sensation from the pocket from his cloak. Pulling out a small drawstring bag, he poured out the pile of D.A coins onto his desk; sifting through the stack until he found the coin that was giving off a pulsing heat. Picking it up he flipped it over to see the name written on the back. He paled and flew from the room; the coin falling from his hand to land spinning on the floor. It slowly spun to a stop, landing face up on the floor to reveal a single name. _Hermione_.

...

...

...

Blaise glanced up from the cauldron he was stirring and squinted slightly as he looked over at Draco's desk.

"Drake, your wand is doing something funny over there. Just FYI."

"What's it doing?"

"It's flashing red at the moment," Blaise replied, looking perplexed.

"Red?"

"Yeah," Blaise answered, turning back towards his cauldron.

He hadn't turned around completely before Draco tore from the room, grabbing his wand as he disapparated; a cauldron he had knocked over spilling its bubbling contents onto the floor. Blaise's brow furrowed, but understanding dawned as he reached into his bag for a sack of golden coins.

...

...

...

"You fight well for a mudblood," Bellatrix sneered as she fired another bolt of green light towards Hermione.

"Better than you," Hermione growled, neatly dodging the attack and firing back with one of her own.

"You'll pay for that mudblood," Bellatrix hissed, slashing through the air with her wand in one hand and her beloved dagger in the other.

Hermione dodged the spell, turning her head slightly as she heard the bedroom door open again; more Death Eaters pouring into the room. Gritting her teeth, she kept going; throwing up shields and attack spells as fast as she could.

...

...

...

"Malfoy! Get upstairs! I'm positive that's where Hermione is. I'll hold them off for as long as I can, so you can get her out of here," Harry shouted at the blond wizard as they fought their way into the flat.

"Nice try Potter, but I'm here too," Blaise commented as he kicked a Death Eater out the window. "You're not going down on your own."

"Good to know," Harry said with a half smile.

"Let's take these wankers," Blaise grinned maniacally.

Harry nodded and they both shot spells at the stairway; clearing the Death Eaters away momentarily so Draco could bolt up the stairs.

...

...

...

Hermione stumbled, hitting the side wall forcefully; blood trailing down her face from a cut above her eye. She tried to stand fully, only to fall back to her knees as Bellatrix resumed her torture. Her nerves screamed and bright light started clouding her vision, making it impossible to focus. Just seconds before blacking out, Bellatrix stopped, leaning menacingly over the beaten witch.

"How sad…. the little mudblood can't even defend herself," she cooed darkly. "Too bad my little snake of a nephew isn't here to save you...or the Potter boy."

"They'd be smart to stay far away from here," Hermione spat; blood from the numerous cuts on her lips splattering onto Bellatrix, causing her to move back, her wand still trained on the younger witch.

Bellatrix laughed, her voice bouncing darkly around the room. "Oh dear….it appears you still are too confident for your own good. I thought we fixed that a few years ago at Malfoy Manor. Apparently not. I think we'd better try again."

Hermione cried out in agonized pain as the blinding torture resumed; sending white hot fire coursing through her veins. Tears leaked from her eyes as she fought against the curse; her ear-splitting screams echoing around the room.

...

...

...

Draco fought Rabastan on the stairs; the sounds of Hermione's screams adding an extra fire to his spells. He finally reached the top of the stairs, kicking one of the Death Eaters down back from where he came; firing a spell at another masked figure, causing him to fall against the bedroom door and creating an entry for Draco. He rushed in, kicking a pot of floo powder into the fireplace causing the green flames to roar to life. Bellatrix turned just in time to see her nephew before he fired a spell; knocking her back into the flames. The flames dispersed, taking her with them as Draco incapacitated the last standing Death Eater in the room.

Dropping his wand, he rushed to Hermione, who lay in a mangled heap on the floor; blood pooling around her small frame. He fell to his knees by her side, taking her gently in his arms, his heart pounding loudly in his ears as she gave no sign of life. He carefully brushed her blood soaked hair from her face; placing his fingers firmly on her neck, desperately searching for any sign of a pulse.

Harry ran up the stairs, hoping that he wasn't too late, and that he had held the attackers off long enough that Draco had been able to get to Hermione. Running into the room, he paused at the scene that lay before him; Draco kneeling distraught on the floor, still frenzied in trying to find any sign of life in Hermione. Harry ran his fingers roughly through his hair, straightening his glasses as he strode to the pair crouched on the ground.

"Anything?" he asked, his voice taunt and small.

"No," Draco replied, his voice flooded with pain and desperation. "It's as if she's de-"

He paused mid-sentence his eyes wide and attentive as he held his fingers close to Hermione's throat once again.

"It's there," he whispered, the hand on her throat steady, the other shaking. "I felt it. She still has a pulse; it's faint, but it's there. We have to get her to St. Mungo's," he said to Harry, lifting Hermione gently into his arms as he stood; her blood quickly staining the front of his shirt until it was no longer in its original color.

"Use the floo," the bespectacled man advised. "It's not as quick, but if you disapparate, you run the risk of splinching her. The wards the Death Eaters put up are down. Ron disabled them so you should be able to get to St. Mungo's without any trouble.

Draco nodded, watching as the fire roared to life once more; the shadow of the flames casting eerie shadows on the room and its occupants. He took a breath and walked to the fire, turning slightly towards the other boy.

"I promised Potter."

"I know," Harry responded, his eyes glistening as he watched the pair disappear in a swirl of flame.

 ** _A/N: Alright, before you all start jumping on me and going, "Hey wait a second! 'Down with the Bloody Red Queen' is from Alice in Wonderland" let me speak. I am fully aware that's where the quote comes from. However, I like it and I think it works extremely well for this chapter, all things considered. But, so I don't get sued and destroyed...yes. The quote is from Alice and Wonderland. It's not mine._**

 ** _If any of you noticed, this is the chapter that the prologue was taken from. The words are changed around a bit because I didn't want to give anything away in the prologue, but yeah. :) Now you know._**

 ** _Next note, I know this chapter has quite a bit of breaks/interruptions but I really wanted it to flip back and forth between the different viewpoints, so I hope it's not too difficult to read, and that you all enjoyed this chapter! Blaise's dialogue was really fun to write...he's a little sass master. Also, I'm not sure how this chapter sounds when someone who isn't the author reads it, so I would love to hear what you all think! Just as a reminder, I do not own any of this. *All hail J.K. Rowling* Please read and review!_**


	18. Broken, Battered, and Beaten

Broken, Battered, and Beaten

Draco sat rigidly in the hallway, his hands clasped firmly together; his eyes staring at nothing as his brain repeated again and again the outcomes of the Cruciatus Curse. _Internal bleeding, seizures, paralysis, organ damage, memory loss or insanity. Insanity, memory loss, organ damage, paralysis, seizures, internal bleeding. Organ damage, paralysis, internal bleeding, seizures, memory loss or insanity...insanity._ His brain seemed to rest longer and longer on that one each time the list replayed in his mind.

"Have you heard anything?"

Draco looked up to see Blaise sitting down heavily beside him; his features sagged slightly with exhaustion. Draco shook his head, his gaze returning to the blank wall across the hall.

"Has she been in the special ward since you got here?" Blaise questioned, his finger tapping lightly against his kneecap. "Also, you should get out of that shirt. It has blood all over it and one of the medi-witches will think you're dying."

"They moved her up here an hour ago," Draco responded quietly, accepting the clean t-shirt Blaise offered him.

Blaise nodded, then lapsed into solemn silence. After what felt like an extended eternity, he heard footsteps echoing down the hall. He looked up a nudged Draco on the shoulder. "Here they come," he murmured, getting up from his seat. Draco did the same, and rose just as Harry and Ron rounded the corner talking quietly between themselves.

"Are they letting anyone in?" Harry asked, his question directed at Draco, who shook his head.

"How'd things look along the rest of the street?" Blaise asked, his arms crossed over his chest.

Harry sighed, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "The whole block is gone. It looks like the Death Eaters got Bellatrix into Hermione's flat, and then went on rampage. There aren't any building left standing."

"It looks like some old abandoned neighborhood," Ron added. "There weren't any survivors."

 _And there might not be_. The thought entered Harry's mind unbidden, and his stomach turned as he looked at the sealed door that Hermione lay behind. _She might already be dead. You got there too late. Add another name to the list of people who have died for you Harry Potter_. He shook his head, trying to silence the unwelcomed thoughts. "What time is it?" he asked, scanning the hall for a clock.

"Three o'five in the morning," Blaise answered, stifling a yawn.

"You might want to go tell Gin why you didn't ever make it home last night," Ron said, running his hand through his russet hair.

"You're wife already knows Potter," Draco said, stopping Harry just as he had begun to turn around.

"How would Ginny already know?" Harry asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"She came by around the quarter of the hour….about one o'clock," Draco sighed heavily. "She was looking for you. Thought you might have wound up here after a nasty run in with some Death Eaters."

"So you told her?"

"Well since she asked why I was here at such an ungodly hour, of course I told her," Draco replied, a slight edge to his words. "She stuck around after that for a while. Then she went to find Katie. I'd guess she's probably still here somewhere."

"Wonderful," Harry said. "Um Ron, please come find me once they let us in to see Hermione."

"Will do," Ron agreed, turning back to the Slytherin duo as Harry disappeared down the hall. "How long do you think it will be?"

"No one seems to know," Draco answered, the muscles in his jaws clenching.

"Maybe it's just-" Ron started, before he was interrupted by the door across the hall opening.

All three pairs of eyes locked in on the medi-witch as she stepped from the room; closing the door softly behind her. She stepped away from the door, her hands clasped dutifully at her side as she approached the group of boys. Ron's face paled considerably as he looked at the medi-witch whose normally bleach white uniform was now streaked with blood.

"Before you all bombard me with questions, let me tell you what I know. Yes, Miss Granger is still alive, and yes, you may go in and see her. I'll be down in the offices to answer any question you have. Please don't excite Miss Granger, wake her if she has fallen asleep, or talk about the incident if she doesn't bring it up. You can go in now," she finished with a small smile.

Ron moved towards the room first, disappearing inside without a word. Blaise moved to follow, but thought better of it and wandered off to find Harry. Draco held back, allowing Ron some time. He sighed, running his fingers haphazardly through his blond hair.

"Draco."

He turned, surprise written on his face. "Katie."

"I need to talk to you," Katie said, coming to stop right in front of him. "It's about Hermione. You know what your aunt did don't you?"

"I have a guess," Draco replied, his eyes darkening.

"Well let me give you the short run down. Basically Bellatrix tortured her unrelentlessly with the Cruciatus Curse. It didn't get to the point of insanity like the Longbottoms', but it got extremely close. I'm sure you're familiar with the outcomes?" Draco nodded and she continued. "We can't report on levels of memory loss because that's something that is realized over time. As for the other symptoms, they are all present in some way."

"All of them?" Draco questioned, his stomach turning.

Katie nodded, her features crumbling slightly. "Yes. The internal bleeding and organ damage should disappear within a few months, however the seizures and paralysis will probably remain."

"Paralysis," Draco repeated, his expression slightly blank.

"Paraplegia to be exact," Katie said, reaching up to tighten her ponytail. "She has absolutely no feeling below her midsection."

"There's nothing you can do to fix that?" Draco asked, his voice bordering on pleading.

"No," Katie sighed, her medical facade breaking. "We fixed all the broken bones in her spine, but we can't do anything for the nerve endings that it killed and the other things that were destroyed. We tried everything. I'm so sorry….She'll probably never walk again Draco. And as she recovers, I wouldn't be surprised if the memory loss surfaces."

Draco kept his hands in his pockets, so Katie wouldn't see them shaking, but he nodded. "So was that everything you needed to tell me?"

"Almost. Because of the curse, seizures will be present at least for a few months. Since Hermione is paralyzed, having seizures could be very dangerous for her because she won't know when something hurts. I'm assuming that you're going to be staying here with her?" At Draco's affirmation, she continued. "If she starts having a seizure, please try and hold her as still as possible without hurting her. If she jerks around too much in the seizure, she could hurt herself even farther. And these seizures will appear almost like a panic attack. She will most likely have difficulty breathing and will probably enter some stage of hysteria. Don't be too alarmed when she doesn't respond during these attacks; she probably won't even be aware that you're around."

Katie stopped as the door behind them opened again; Ron and Harry stepping out one after the other. "When did you get in there Harry?" Katie asked in bewilderment.

"Towards the beginning of your conversation with Malfoy. I didn't want to interrupt since it seemed important, so I just joined Ron," Harry explained, his tone flat. "Ron and I are going to find Blaise and round up the Order. We need to talk."

Draco and Katie nodded, watching Ron and Harry disappear down the hall before continuing. "I know this will be hard, but please don't blame Hermione. It's not her fault," Katie said.

"I know it's not," Draco whispered. "If it's anyone's fault it's mine."

"Well, since Ron and Harry are done, you can probably go in now," Katie said softly.

"Thanks Katie," Draco replied, walking to the door. He paused, hearing Katie's footsteps slowly fading away. He took a deep breath, then slowly opened the door to Hermione's room. He entered, his eyes focused downward as he shut the door softly. Turning around, he looked over to the hospital bed where Hermione lay. The bed was flat, and lacked pillows; except for the one that elevated Hermione's heavily bandaged arm. The one blanket on the bed was a dismal color of grey and looked awfully thin. Hermione lay flat on her back, her head turned away from the door and towards the window. Draco walked slowly to the metal chair next to the bed and lightly sat down, thinking Hermione must be asleep.

"I'm not asleep," Hermione said, her voice scratchy and hollow. She turned her head so she faced him, her features contorting in pain. "I wanted a room with a window...so I could have something to look at," she whispered.

Draco took her hand lightly in his; leaning forward so she wouldn't have to move her arm. "I'm so sorry Hermione."

"It's not your fault," Hermione said, trying to shift her position on the bed. "I didn't check my wards before I went in the house."

She tried to move again, but Draco placed one hand firmly on her shoulder, preventing it. "Hermione please stop moving. You're going to hurt yourself."

"I'm fine," Hermione insisted.

"What is it with you Gryffindors and thinking you always have to be brave?" Draco asked softly, brushing a strand of wet hair from her face.

Hermione looked as if she was going to argue, but decided against it. Her chin quivered slightly and her face crumbled. "I don't know," she whispered, her voice cracking. I just…." she couldn't finish. She choked on her words and a steady stream of tears traveled down her cheeks.

"Hermione," Draco murmured, holding tightly to her hand.

"I just want you to tell me that everything will be okay," Hermione sobbed, clutching his hand tightly.

"Hermione, I can't-"

"Just promise me," she cried, her sobs starting to wrack her body.

"I promise," Draco whispered. "Everything is going to be okay." he rubbed her shoulder lightly, making sure she didn't move in excess with her cries. "I promise you're going to make it through this. You're going to be okay."

They stayed like that until Hermione's sobs quieted and she drifted into a restless sleep. Draco remained silently by her side; her hand still tightly holding to his. He stared at their entwined fingers, noticing how pale her hands looked, even next to his. It wasn't just her hands...her face looked ghostly White against the pale sheets and the pastel blue hospital robe. He turned his head as the door opened, letting Pansy through, her cloak wrapped tightly around her shoulders.

"Hey," she whispered, sitting in the other metal chair.

"Hey Pans," Draco replied, his gaze returning to Hermione. "Did Blaise-?"

"Blaise filled me in," Pansy said with a nod. "He came and got me for Potter's meeting, and told me what he knew on the way over."

Draco nodded slightly, his thumb creating light circles over Hermione's hand. "Did he stay with Potter?"

Pansy shook her head. "No. Some people stayed to talk to Harry...some begged to be allowed to come see her, but most just went home. Blaise included. He tried to convince me to come with him, but I wanted to come make sure you were...okay."

"I'm fine Pans. You should go home."

"What are you going to do now?" Pansy asked softly.

"I don't know Pansy," Draco sighed, his breath catching.

"Are you going to stay with her?"

"Of course. Hermione means the world to me. I'm not going to leave her just because of this," Draco answered, shooting a small glare at Pansy.

"Good," she smiled. "Just wanted to make sure your priorities were set straight."

"What are you Pansy? My mother?" Draco joked, his voice hollow.

"Nah," Pansy teased. "I just care."

"I know."

They sat quietly for a few moments, just comforted knowing the other was there. Pansy gently placed a hand on his knee, drawing him out of his thoughts.

"I think you should propose to her Drake," she whispered, breaking the silence.

"What makes you say that? She'd be angry Pans. Hermione would be bitter. She'd feel like I was only asking out of pity because she can't take care of herself," Draco sighed, his eyes sad and tired.

"I don't think Hermione is that kind of person," Pansy pointed out. "She needs someone Draco. She needs to know that someone still wants to be with her even though she isn't "whole" in her own eyes. She needs to know that there's still something left for her...someone. Hermione needs _you_."

Draco seemed to deflate; his shoulders dropping. "Normally I would jump at the opportunity Pans. I was planning on it actually. But this changes things. I still want to be with her...more than anything. I want that for us. But I think it needs to be done a little differently now. I just need to tread carefully...I think Hermione would do the same."

Pansy nodded. "Okay. But she does need you...in more ways than one."

Draco gave her a small smile, a small shred of light re-entering his eyes. The smile vanished when Hermione woke with a cry, ripping her hand out of his as her breath quickened. Draco rose quickly from his seat, leaning over Hermione. He reached across with one arm; his hand held firmly on Hermione's upper arm; his forearm resting across her chest, keeping her still. She continued to cry out, her voice cracked and full of pain and fear; her breaths short and sporadic.

"It's okay," Draco whispered, keeping his voice low and even. "You're okay. Nothing's going to hurt you."

Hermione screamed, her eyes dilating as she struggled against Draco's hold. She thrashed slightly under his weight, her movements becoming weak and slow.

"It's okay," Draco continued softly, stroking her hair lightly with his free hand. "Everything's going to be okay. I'm here, it's okay. Breathe Hermione."

She cried out again; her agonized scream rattling Pansy's bones. Hermione screeched, her voice giving out after a few seconds, leaving only her pained sobs and Draco's muffled murmurings.

"That's it. Breathe. In, out. It's okay. Nothing is going to hurt you. It's okay, I'm here," Draco whispered soothingly; feeling relieved as her eyes constricted slightly, returning to their normal size. "It's almost over. You're almost there. It's okay. Relax...deep breaths."

She didn't respond vocally, but her breathing started to even out, following the pattern Draco whispered to her. Hermione's cries died out completely, replaced by silent tears.

"You're going to be okay Hermione," Draco murmured, continuing to lightly stroke her hair; his hold loosening as she drifted back to sleep.

Once she had fallen completely asleep, Draco let go, returning to his seat next to Pansy. He let out a quaky breath; attempting to stop his hands from shaking.

"I didn't realize it was that bad," Pansy whispered, her eyes still wide.

"I didn't either," Draco said, haphazardly running his hands through his hair. "I'm going to kill Bellatrix."

"Killing someone isn't the right way to go Drake," Pansy murmured.

"Pansy, look at what Bellatrix has done. She's insane, and she's not going to stop until she's satisfied. Bellatrix will kill anyone and do anything to get what she wants and that's got to stop," Draco growled, his grey eyes flashing.

"Draco, I know you want revenge for what Bellatrix has done to you...and no one can blame you for that. But if you just wait, eventually all her evil doings are going to catch up to her," Pansy replied. "Anyways, I should get going."

Pansy stood, fastening a few buttons on her cloak that had come loose. She paused, giving his shoulder a gentle squeeze before letting herself out; making sure the door clicked soundly behind her.

 _ **A/N: Sorry about the length of this chapter...it's an all-time low. But, I really just felt like that's where I needed to end it. Ya know? Maybe not. So, sorry about how short it is, but I really do hope you like it. I know it's sort of depressing, but...not every story can be all butterflies and rainbows.**_

 ** _So I don't get in trouble: Nothing belongs to me. I wish, but unfortunately not. Also, please read and review!_**


	19. Does This Road Lead to Nowhere?

**_A/N: First off...Thank you to those that have been reviewing! Y'all are just so fabulous! Now, down to the real talk. I know these past few chapters have been really...depressing, and I'm sorry about that. I wouldn't put them in if I didn't think they'd add effect to the story. I also know that reading depressing chapter after depressing chapter is not something all of you lovely reader want to do; there's a light at the end of the tunnel! The chapter that I will be posting next gets much happier. (No spoilers, but I'm pretty sure you will all like it.) So, just endure through this chapter and I promise that it gets better. 3 Please continue to read and review! I love hearing your thoughts, insights, and suggestions about the story!_**

Does This Road Lead to Nowhere?

Hermione had a few more of her special attacks throughout the following week, but nothing unexpected happened. Draco remained in her room, only leaving to refill pain potions and get food for the two of them. When the healers came to check on Hermione, Draco would Floo home to shower and change, and depending on how long the healer's check-ups would be, run to his office to pick up papers from Arthur. It was on one such day that something out of the ordinary happened. Normally, the room was silent; Hermione sleeping most of the time, and Draco doing work. Hermione had woken up an hour earlier and had been scribbling something down on a parchment since. A medi-witch knocked politely on the door, letting the pair know they were there. Draco rose from the chair and stretched; his muscles stiff from being in one position for so long. Hermione winced at each popping sound his back made, her attention still focused on the parchment.

"Do you need anything?" Draco asked, grabbing his cloak from off the back of the chair. It was a routine. He would ask, she would decline. Today however, she accepted.

"Yes actually. Can you take this into the Ministry for me?" she asked tiredly, rolling up the parchment and handing it to Draco.

"Any particular person it needs to go to?" he asked, slipping it in the pocket of his cloak.

"Kingsley," Hermione answered simply, turning her head so she was looking at him. "It's my resignation papers."

"Resignation papers?"

"Yeah," she whispered. "I want you to clear out my office. I can't exactly be the Head of a department in this condition. I can't do much of anything now."

Draco sighed, brushing his hand gently against hers. "You know that's not true Hermione."

"Of course it is," she replied, her voice bitter. "I can't walk, I can barely sit up without needing help, I have to have everything brought to me, and I'm confined to this bed and this awful room. Someone has to help me with everything. I'm as useful as a child."

"Hermione, it's not your fault," Draco reassured her. "You had an accident, and you need help. That's not something that can be avoided. And there's plenty of people willing to help you."

"They're all just helping me out of pity," Hermione sighed in defeat, turning so she was looking out the window. "This healer visit is going to be a longer one. You can have some time to yourself."

Draco sighed, knowing that arguing with her was pointless. He squeezed her hand gently and excused himself from the room; allowing the healers to take his place in the room.

...

...

...

"I knew she would do this," Kingsley sighed, accepting the parchment Draco handed him. "I told her the position was still hers when she was healed enough to come back."

"She doesn't think she'll ever be healed enough…." Draco answered, running his hands through his still damp hair.

"What do you think Mr Malfoy?" Kingsley questioned, searching the young wizard's face.

"I don't know," he admitted. "I want to think that she'll get better. Katie said Hermione's ability to walk was gone for good, but I'm hopeful that there will be a time when she is healthy enough to do some of the things she enjoyed again."

Kingsley shook his head, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "If there was some way I could help Miss Granger, I would. She's the most brilliant and amazing witch I know and she doesn't deserve this."

"No one does," Draco murmured.

Kingsley sighed, placing the parchment into one of his desk drawers. "I don't think there's any talking her out of resigning, and we are in need of a Head for the MLE department, so I will have to honor her wishes."

Draco nodded, wishing there was some way around it. "She's already asked for her office to be cleared out. She's not going to keep the position Minister."

Kingsley nodded, grabbing a small metal box from under his desk. "Well, I can't force Miss Granger to do something against her will. I'm assuming she asked you to remove her things?" At Draco's confirmation, he passed the box to the blond wizard. "That should be able to hold everything. It's charmed so it has unlimited space, and is quite easy to carry."

"Thank you Minister," Draco said, exiting Kingsley's office and taking the lift down to the MLE department.

The lift doors opened one floor short, allowing someone to join the young Mr Malfoy on the ride down.

"If it isn't Draco. The high and mighty Slytherin Prince. All bow before him," Blaise joked, drawing a small smile out of the blond wizard. "What are you doing at the Ministry?"

"Hermione resigned her position as the Head of the MLE department. She asked me to come clear out her office," Draco explained.

"Makes sense," Blaise nodded, tucking his stack of files under one arm. "Need any help?"

"If you're offering, I'm not going to turn it down," Draco pointed out, exiting the metal contraption as it reached the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

"Hey, anything to get away from the DOBB for a while. They are driving me up a wall," Blaise commented, following Draco down the hall to Hermione's office. "I'd do anything to get out of there right now. Even if it means cleaning."

"You? Cleaning? I thought I'd never hear such a fantasy tale," Draco smirked, unlocking the door to the large office.

...

...

...

"How are you feeling?" Draco questioned, an hour later as he returned to St Mungo's.

Hermione shrugged, her gaze focused outside the window. She still lay flat on her back, although the pillow had been moved from her arm to its place at the headboard of the bed.

"It's almost dinner," Draco said, removing his cloak and draping it over the back of the metal chair. "Would you like something to eat? Or something to drink?"

"I'm not hungry," she responded, her tone flat.

"Hermione, you didn't eat anything for breakfast, or for lunch. The healers said you have to eat at least once a day, even if you don't eat much," Draco reminded her softly, sitting down lightly on the edge of the hospital bed.

"What's the point?" Hermione asked. "I'll just throw it up right after. Then you or someone else will just have to clean it up because I'm not able to do it myself."

"Hermione, we'll find something you can eat that you will be able to keep down," Draco said, lightly placing his hand on hers.

"Draco, I said I didn't want anything to eat okay?" Hermione groaned, pulling her hand away from his. "I just…"

"What do you want 'Mione?" Draco murmured, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I just wish I was dead," Hermione said, her voice hollow. "At least then I wouldn't be a burden on anyone."

"Hermione…"

"I'm serious Draco. It would just be easier on everyone if I wasn't around; needing to be waited on hand and foot."

"Hermione stop it," Draco said firmly, his gaze hardening. "It's understandable to be upset, but you're in this rut and you need to get out of it. Now. You are _not_ a burden. There is no universe where you would not be wanted and loved. We all need you. _I need you._ Don't you _ever_ think that anyone would be better off without you."

Hermione turned her gaze from the window and focused on the ceiling; a single tear making its way down her cheek. "I'm sorry," she whimpered, her voice shaking.

"It's okay Hermione," Draco whispered, his tone softening. "It's okay...I'm the one who should be sorry. It's not your fault."

"It is though. I'm the one who's been choosing to have a bad attitude about all of this," she whispered, returning her hand to his.

"Being brave isn't always easy. And you're the bravest witch I know," he smiled, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Now, will you please try something to eat?"

Hermione nodded slowly, her eyes full of hesitation and doubt.

"Anything in particular you'd like to try?" Draco asked, his hand lingering lightly against her cheek.

"Maybe just some bread…" Hermione whispered.

Draco smiled. "Good choice. I'll be back in a minute."

Hermione nodded, instantly missing the warmth of his hand against her cheek as he left the room. She stared at the ceiling trying to ignore the throbbing pain she could feel and waited for Draco to come back. It seemed like an eternity before he returned, but he did. He always came back.

"I got a few different kinds, mostly because I don't know which one you'd prefer," Draco said, setting the tray down on the side table. "Also the kitchen lady gave me some sort of broth thing she said might help. I have water too. That's the calmest drink they have down there."

Hermione let out a small laugh; hating the way it rattled in her chest. "Thanks," she said softly.

"It's my pleasure," Draco replied with a smile. "Now, what style of bread would you like for tonight's main course? We have the forever famous whitebread, it's healthier cousin the wheat bread, we have the de-fluffed flatbread, and finally the forgotten sourdough bread."

Hermione laughed, the sound bouncing airily around the room. "I think I'll just go with the wheat bread."

"An excellent choice," Draco grinned, rising from his seat.

He approached the hospital bed, grabbing the latch on the side and slowly raising it so Hermione could sit up slightly. Because of the paralysis, Hermione couldn't stay upright for very long, and had a difficult time sitting up by herself, since the lower half of her spine was also out of order. Draco sat on the side of the bed, pulling the side table a little closer.

"Ready for your feast?" He asked, a slight teasing hint underlying his tone.

Hermione nodded, using her arms to slowly prop herself up. Draco helped; one hand on her back and the other on her leg, preventing her from sliding off. Once she had risen enough to eat, the hand on her back disappeared, traveling over to the side rail of the bed, so his arm acted as a rest. Hermione leaned back against it, relieved to have the weight removed from her arms.

"Comfortable?" Draco questioned, searching her face to see if she was lying.

"As comfortable as I can be," Hermione replied, trying to hide her grimace.

Draco's brow furrowed slightly, noticing Hermione's obvious pain. "I know it's not exactly the best positioning, and I wish you could lay down for this."

"I know," Hermione said, gritting her teeth slightly. "I don't want to choke though."

"Good thing there's not a lot for you to eat," Draco commented, lifting the tray onto the bed with his free hand. "It'll be over with nice and quick."

Hermione nodded, her jaw clenched tightly against the strain on her upper back. She accepted the single slice of bread Draco handed her, tearing off minuscule pieces so they were easier to choke down. She ate a few pieces before her stomach started churning; threatening to release what little food she'd eaten.

"I think I'm done," Hermione said weakly, placing the almost whole slice of bread back on the tray.

Draco's brow creased slightly, noting how much she'd eaten, but removing the tray nonetheless. "Do you feel nauseous?"

Hermione nodded slightly, her stomach getting increasingly agitated and the room brightening with each moment. Draco moved off the bed, careful not to jostle Hermione. He placed a steadying hand on her shoulder as he lifted the latch, lowering the bed down so she was lying flat again. Her breathing was somewhat labored, and Draco could tell she was fighting to stay in control. He flicked his wand, lowering the lights.

"Hermione look at me," Draco said gently holding her hand. "You're going to be okay. Just breathe."

Hermione's breaths slowed and slight color returned to her complexion. She turned her head slowly towards Draco, her hand shaking lightly in his. "I'm sorry," she rasped.

"It's not your fault," he reassured her, gently resting the back of his hand against her forehead. His brow creased and his eyes flashed with something Hermione couldn't read. "You're running a fever," Draco murmured, removing his hand. "I'm going to get a medi-witch."

"No!" Hermione said suddenly, reaching out to grasp his retreating hand.

"Hermione, this could be serious...you're still healing," Draco reminded her.

"Don't make them come more than they have to," she pleaded, her grip on his hand tightening. "Please."

His expression tightened as he weighed the consequences of both actions. Hermione saw the muscles in his jaw clench as he mulled over her request.

"Fine," he consented, taking his seat in the chair; Hermione's hand still holding a vise grip on his wrist. "But if it gets worse I'm getting one of the healers, no complaints."

"Okay," Hermione agreed, letting her grip on his arm relax.

"Do you still feel nauseous?" He questioned, running his fingers slowly through her hair.

"Not really," Hermione replied truthfully.

"Good." He sighed, continuing to stroke his fingers through her curly locks. "You should get some sleep," he murmured; his voice low.

Hermione nodded, her eyelids already starting to droop in exhaustion. Draco's long fingers playing in her hair always soothed her, helped her relax and often fall asleep; knowing he was there comforted her. In a few moments Hermione was asleep, her chest gently rising and falling as for once, her slumber seemed peaceful. Draco continued stroking his fingers through her hair, though his movements began to slow.

Merlin he was tired...so tired. He'd gone to his business after clearing out Hermione's office; and had picked up a rather large stack of paperwork and order forms. Due to the circumstances surrounding Hermione today, he had yet to even glance at them. He sighed, rubbing his eyes with his free hand. He was all different kinds of tired. Mentally, from work and the stress of caring for Hermione. He wanted desperately to help her, and he tried to not let her see how much it actually affected him. It frightened him that there were points in her panic induced attacks where he couldn't reach her...that something in her brain blocked reality for a time, and that no matter what he did, he couldn't break through it. Hermione's screams, sobs, and pained cries were present in his waking moments, and they haunted his thoughts when he slept.

In reality, he didn't sleep much anymore. His thoughts kept him awake, and more often than not, Hermione woke during the middle of the night; whether from nightmares or seizures, and she usually woke more than once during the night. The lack of sleep was affecting him physically, and soon Hermione would begin to notice. He'd begun to see small bags under his eyes when he went home during Hermione's daily check-ups, and he'd lost quite a bit of weight since her accident, since he only ate when Hermione did. He jerked awake, realizing he'd begun to drift off. He blinked a few times, trying to stay away; his fingers moving through her hair once again. It didn't take long before his eyes drifted shut again; his head resting against the edge of the bed.

Hermione woke a few hours later. With surprise, she realized she'd woken up without the help of a seizure, nightmare or nausea. She smiled, tilting her head to the side to look at Draco. He'd fallen asleep, his hand resting on her shoulder where it had fallen from her hair.

Hermione gave a soft sigh of contentment at seeing him asleep, knowing that he often stayed awake the whole night; working and making sure she was alright. It still seemed strange to her, seeing this side of him. After all, he had always been the schoolground bully and eventually the Death Eater that she had despised. Now…..now he was kind, gentle, caring and practically the exact opposite of who he had been before.

She liked this side of Draco much better. He seemed more...human this way. Sure there were still times when he was cold and stone-faced like he had been before, and she knew he still had a bit of a temper; she heard him arguing with Blaise and sometimes Harry outside her room. But he had managed to remain calm and collected around her through this. She knew it was still affecting him though. She could see it in his eyes after she regained control of herself after a seizure, or when she woke in the middle of the night crying in pain. It was hurting him to see her like this...and if she'd seen correctly, he was scared. Draco Malfoy was scared. Hermione was too….she didn't want this. She was scared that Draco would tire of having to care for her and that he would leave. She was scared that Harry and Ron would go out on some dangerous mission and never come back, and that she would never see them again. She was afraid that something would go wrong and she would end up hurting more. She was more frightened than she'd been any other time in her life. Hermione felt Draco's hand shift slightly against her shoulder in sleep; an unconscious reminder that someone was here for her…that she wasn't alone.

Hermione focused on the sleeping wizard, taking time to just look at him. He was still seated in that metal chair; his back bent so he could lean against the bed. His cloak was still draped over the back of the chair, meaning he was only wearing a simple button-up shirt. He had obviously stayed in shape after his time as a Seeker; Hermione could see the muscles that only Seekers developed under the lightweight fabric, plus a few more. He had definitely filled out considerably since she'd known him at Hogwarts...back then he was a tall, almost unnaturally thin boy. He was still tall, but now he was bigger and more confident about himself...and he was no longer a boy. He'd grown into a man; he'd grown up. His leg twitched, causing him to shift positions in his sleep.

She smiled at the wrinkles in his forehead, created by the thin sheets on her bed. He looked so calm when he slept. The stress and strain that often showed on his face disappeared, replaced by a look of peace and serenity. Hermione almost laughed out loud when the thought crossed her mind that his chin wasn't pointed anymore. What a weird thing to notice… but it was true. His face had filled out along with the rest of him, taking away his pointed chin and elfish features. It probably helped that he'd stopped using that awful hair gel; just letting his hair fall naturally, making him appear more natural.

Hermione emitted a something between a gasp and a yelp as a shot of pain coursed through her body, setting her nerves on fire. Draco woke immediately, his expression a cross between worry and fear as he grabbed a pain potion from the side table, reading the label to make sure it was the correct one. Hermione cried out, her back attempting to arch away from the pain as it increased.

"It's okay," Draco murmured, his arm pressing on her stomach; keeping her back from moving. "Drink this."

Hermione reached for it, dropping her hand as another wave of pain attacked her, drawing out another agonized cry as her body convulsed; pain wracking every part of her body that she could feel. Draco's pressure on her midsection increased slightly, trying to hold her still without increasing her pain. He handed her the vial, putting his other arm behind her back and helping her sit up just enough that she could swallow the contents without choking. Hermione swallowed, coughing slightly as the potion worked it's way down her throat. As soon as she had gulped it down, Draco lowered her onto her back so she was lying flat again; keeping his arm firmly on her until the pain-induced spasms stopped. Draco could feel her muscles relax and her heartbeat return to normal underneath his arm. He released the firm hold on her stomach, but lightly kept his arm draped there, waiting to make sure the pain was controlled.

"Does it feel better?" He asked, his grey eyes searching hers.

"Yeah," Hermione whispered.

"Good. That's your double up on that potion. You can't have any more for eight hours," Draco sighed, his voice still husky from his short moments of rest. He rubbed his eyes, trying to erase the last signs of sleep.

"I didn't mean to wake you," Hermione apologized, resting her hand on his.

"It's fine," Draco assured her. "I need to get some work done anyways."

"No Draco, what you need is sleep," Hermione insisted. "You haven't slept in days. You're going to get sick."

"Hermione, I'm fine," Draco repeated, giving her a small smile.

"Well Ron and Harry have the day off tomorrow, so they offered to come and stay with me for the day. Ginny is coming too; she's going to bring me some clothes and other things," Hermione said, fiddling with the blanket. "Since they'll be here with me tomorrow, you can go home and rest. You need it, even if you won't admit it."

Draco nodded slowly, running his fingers through his hair. "Hermione…"

"Draco...please. You do so much for me...please take a day for yourself. You need it," Hermione insisted firmly. "I'll be fine. I survived with only Harry and Ron for quite a few years."

Draco chuckled; the sound rumbling in his chest. "You've got me there."

"I know," Hermione grinned, squeezing his hand.

Draco brushed her hair away from her face; his hand lingering on her cheek. He leaned down, gently brushing his lips against hers. He sat back up, his hand still on the side of her face. "I've got to get some work done. Try and sleep okay?"

Hermione nodded, pulling the solitary blanket up to her chin. "I love you Draco," she whispered as she nodded off; falling fast asleep within a few seconds; the pain potion finally taking it's full effect.

"I love you too Hermione," Draco said softly.

Noticing her small shivers, Draco grabbed his cloak off the chair; carefully laying it over her. He moved to back to the metal chair, picking up the stack of papers that he'd picked up that day from the office. "I've really got to pick up a blanket or two for this bloody room," he groaned to himself. Sighing, he flipped open the file and started to work.

...

...

...

"Drake. Seriously. You need to go home."

Draco started, shaking his head to clear his thoughts. "Sorry. What were you saying?"

"Well I _was_ talking about the new shop in Diagon Alley, but you nodded off. Again," Pansy said, looking at Draco with a somewhat worried expression. "Then I said you should go home. You really need to get some sleep."

"I can't Pans," Draco said, downing the rest of his drink. "I'm using today to catch up at the office. I said I'd come meet you for lunch, but I'm trying to get stuff done."

"You're not going to get anything done if you can't focus because of exhaustion," Pansy pointed out, passing him another drink. "You need to go home and sleep. I can give you a dreamless sleep potion if you want. I have a stock at home for Blaise."

Blaise's brow creased, showing his confusion; but he remained silent.

"Draco seriously. You're not doing any good like this."

"Pansy I have stuff to do," Draco replied, running his hands through his hair. "It's not going to get done by itself. Besides. I slept last night."

"For a grand total of an hour," Blaise pointed out, sipping at his drink. "That's not enough mate. Even for someone like you."

"Blaise, you are not my mother," Draco said sharply. "I'm twenty-three years old. I don't need you to baby me; I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

"Draco, we're not trying to make fun of you," Pansy said simply. "We're just worried."

"I appreciate it," Draco replied, finishing the rest of his drink. "Really I do, but you don't have to worry. I'll be fine. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get going. Arthur is expecting me back within a few minutes."

He rose from his seat, pulling a few galleons out of his pocket and leaving them on the table besides his empty glass. He bid the two other Slytherin's farewell and left, the cafe door ringing quietly behind him. Blaise looked over at Pansy, his hand resting on her leg.

"He's going to kill himself," Blaise sighed, finishing his drink.

"Agreed," Pansy said, fluffing her curls gently. "Sleep is something everyone needs..and I don't think Draco is getting enough."

Blaise nodded, running his tongue over his teeth. "Speaking of sleep...why the heck have you been slipping me sleep potions? Do you do this every night?"

Pansy sighed, avoiding his eyes. "I'm sorry Blaise, but after the first few nights of sleeping at your place I couldn't take it. You have awful nightmares. You scream and thrash around and utter awful things in your sleep; I just couldn't stand it."

"So you drug me every night?" Blaise questioned, his gaze hardened slightly.

"It's for your own good," Pansy argued, turning her pleading eyes on him. "You sleep so much better now. You've even said so yourself."

"Pansy, you could have at least told me," Blaise said, his tone bordering on a growl. "Besides, how have you managed to slip that to me every night?"

"You drink a cup of earl grey tea before you go to sleep," Pansy muttered, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. "It's not hard to put it in there."

Blaise leaned back in the seat, thankful they chose a booth to eat in today. "I don't drink tea every night Pans. What do you do then? Pour it down my throat right after I fall asleep?"

"Stop it Blaise," Pansy snapped, shoving his hand off her leg. "I'm not cruel."

"I don't know," Blaise said. "Drugging someone isn't exactly angel work."

"Blaise I haven't drugged you," Pansy hissed. "I did this for your own good. You haven't had a bad night's rest since I moved in with you…"

"Still didn't explain how you managed to feed me a sleeping potion on the nights I don't drink tea before bed."

"Oh for Merlin's sake Blaise," Pansy exclaimed, her temper flaring. "On the nights you don't drink tea, you've usually been getting yourself drunk so you don't need a sleeping potion."

"I don't get drunk," Blaise argued, rolling his eyes.

"Yes you do," Pansy sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Do you remember anything that happened the night before Hermione was attacked?"

"Of course," Blaise scoffed. "I spent the day at work, fighting with Johnson over the new business deal with Gringotts."

"And when you got home?"

"I….complained some more about Johnson," Blaise answered slowly.

"Correct. And after that?" Pansy asked coldly.

"And after that I went to bed," Blaise said, shrugging his shoulders.

"After drinking five bottles of firewhiskey," Pansy snapped. "You complained and complained about how stupid Richard Johnson was the dumbest wizard in the whole world; taking out all your frustration by drowning yourself in alcohol and getting bloody drunk."

"Sounds probable," Blaise admitted, running his hand through this dark hair. "I'm sorry Pans…."

"Really? Are you sure it's not the drugs talking?" she asked snippily, turning away from him to look out the window.

"Pans...I over-reacted. I'm sorry for not trusting you," he said, reaching out to grab her hand.

Pansy remained turned around, not registering his apology.

"I must have not been too drunk because I remember something else we did that night," Blaise said smoothly, wrapping his arm around Pansy's waist and resting his chin on her shoulder.

Pansy still remained silent, but the corners of her mouth turned up slightly.

"Come on Pans," Blaise murmured, his breath caressing her skin. "We both know you can't stay mad at me forever."

"What makes you say that?" Pansy smirked, turning her head slightly to glance over her shoulder.

"Because I know you," he replied silkily, his hand tracing lazy circles against her spine.

Pansy sighed, turning around fully so she faced him. "You have me convinced," she said, her eyes glinting.

Blaise smirked, leaning back against the booth; his arm still hooked around Pansy's waist.

"Hey," Pansy said softly, playing with the soft hairs at the back of his neck. "I'm really sorry I didn't ask you about the sleep potions. It was out of place to just do it without your permission."

"It's okay," he said gently. "I over-reacted to the whole thing. You were just trying to help me. I can't be mad about that."

"You reacted like a bloody wanker," Pansy smirked, hitting him lightly on his chest. "But I forgive you."

"I'm thrilled," Blaise remarked, reaching into his pocket for a couple of galleons. "What do you say to taking the rest of the day off?"

Pansy thought for a moment, her smirk deepening as she came up with an idea. "That sounds lovely. In payment for your harsh reaction, you can come with me to all of my favorite shops."

"I should've seen that one coming," Blaise groaned, rolling his eyes. "Shopping is your one true love."

Pansy shook her head, her dark brown curls bouncing lightly against her cheeks. "Nope. My one true love is you. And if you come shopping with me, I think I can manage to find a spot in my schedule to make time for you afterwards."

Blaise laughed, getting up from the booth and offering his hand to Pansy. "I'd say we'd better get going then. Are you ready for your extravagant afternoon of shopping m'lady?"

"I'll always be ready for shopping," Pansy teased, accepting his proffered hand. "And I think this afternoon would be wonderful even without it."

...

...

...

"So how was your day with the Wonder Duo?" Draco questioned as he returned to the room that night, dropping his bag and cloak onto the chair. "The room looks intact, so that's definitely a good sign."

"They were fine," Hermione laughed, using her arms to prop herself up slightly. "And Ginny was here too you know."

"Ah right. The Wonder Duo and the fiery red-haired companion," Draco acknowledged, setting something on the edge of Hermione's bed.

"What's that?" she questioned, gesturing to the bag at her feet.

"This is to brighten up your room," he said lightly, untying the string. "Also, it's bloody cold in here, so I figured these would be much appreciated and more useful than that pathetic excuse for a blanket they gave you."

He finished unwrapping the package, depositing the contents next to Hermione; crossing the room to throw the wrapping away. Hermione beamed, her smile almost reaching her eyes as she looked at the pile of blankets, running her hands over them appreciatively.

"These are lovely Draco," she murmured, adjusting her position slightly.

"Well I figured you didn't want to freeze to death in here," he commented, running his finger through his hair. "You shouldn't move so much Hermione….do you want the bed raised so you don't have to rest wholly on your arms?"

Hermione nodded, and Draco moved the latch so the headrest was raised, helping her sit up slightly. He paused, his arm resting lightly on the bed rails.

"Hermione what did you do to your arm?"

She glanced down, wincing as she saw the bloodstained bandage. "It must've opened up again when I used my arms to lift myself up."

"Did the healers leave extra bandages?" Draco questioned.

"Yes, but it's not a big deal. It'll stop bleeding by itself," Hermione said, trying to conceal her damaged arm.

Draco rolled his eyes, finding the stash of bandages in the cupboard on the wall. "Don't be ridiculous Hermione."

"I'm not," she countered.

"Do you want to stain your new blankets?"

Hermione scowled, her arms crossed over her chest. "No…."

"Then it needs to be changed," Draco stated, sitting lightly on the edge of her bed. "Trust me."

Hermione held out her arm reluctantly; her eyes full of hesitation as he held her arm, gently unwrapping the blood-soaked bandage. The fabric fell away and Hermione winced at Draco's sharp breath intake. She looked down, her stomach churning as she looked at the marred, swollen letters torn into her skin.

"I didn't want you to have to see," She whispered, looking at the blond wizard.

"Why didn't you tell me about this?" Draco responded, the edges of his features contorted in pain.

"Because I knew that this one would hurt you more than the other injuries...You still blame yourself for what happened that night at the Manor," Hermione offered softly. "And it didn't want you to blame yourself for this."

"It's bad enough that this happened once...but she made you live through it again," he said quietly, resting her arm lightly on his knee as he reached for a fresh bandage.

"It doesn't bother me Draco," Hermione whispered. "Both the word and the wound."

"Don't lie," he replied softly, the words cutting through the room. "I know the term still hurts you."

Hermione sighed, watching as Draco carefully bandaged her mangled arm; his expression unreadable.

In a few more moments he was finished; passing his wand over her arm once to ensure that the bandage remained wrapped. "Does that feel better?" He asked looking up; his steely grey eyes piercing hers.

"Yes," Hermione replied, gently pulling her arm away. It was silent for a few moments before Hermione remembered what she had been waiting to tell him once he had returned. "I have some good news though," she said, attempting to wrap one of the blankets around her shoulders.

"What's your good news?" Draco asked softly, helping her situate the soft duvet around herself.

"The medi-witch that came to do my check up today told me that everything inside seems to be healing fine, and that the internal bleeding has stopped. She also said that I can sit up more often now if it's comfortable for me," Hermione replied, a small smile gracing her delicate features.

"I'd say that's definitely good news," Draco agreed quietly; the ghost of a smile playing on his lips.

Draco woke that night to Hermione's strangled screams; her pain and hysteria clear though she was still asleep. He rushed to her side, but her screams stopped before he could do anything. Her eyes flew open; full of panic and fear as she frantically tried to control her racing heart; her eyes trailing to her injured arm as tears trailed lightly down her cheeks.

"Hermione," Draco whispered, knowing fully well what had plagued her nightmares; it had been replaying in his mind too before he'd woken.

"Draco," she sobbed, his name catching on her throat. "I don't...I..."

"I know," he murmured, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. "I know."


	20. New Beginnings

_**A/N: Okay, this chapter is going to be way cheesy, and I'm really sorry about that, but I really don't see another way of writing this...so cheesy it is. Even though it's cheesy and sappy, I really do hope that you all like it. :)**_

 _ **I still don't own anything, but please read and review!**_

New Beginnings

A few weeks later, the whole episode was almost forgotten. The rest of the Order had eventually trickled in to see Hermione; not usually staying for more than an hour. Although the visits were short, Draco could tell they helped cheer Hermione up. Each person brought her a little something, and soon the room seemed much more homey; a copy of Hogwarts: A History even residing on the table by Hermione's bed. At the moment however, it was in her hands; as it had been the whole day. Hermione had healed to the point where she could remain in a reclined position most of the day, and she was taking full advantage of it. She'd been reading Hogwarts: A History since she woke, and had even requested that the window near her bed be opened. The fresh air had returned some color to her pale complexion, and her cheeks now retained a healthy glow. She finished the last page, closing the large volume with a satisfying snap.

Draco looked up from his paperwork, a smile gracing his handsome features. "Finished already?"

Hermione nodded, pulling one of the comforters tighter around her shoulders. "It's an incredibly fascinating book. It's a shame that more people haven't read it."

"Well it can appear rather daunting," Draco pointed out, tapping the tip of his quill lightly against his head.

"Looks can be deceiving," Hermione laughed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

Draco nodded, his brow slightly creased as he looked at his papers.

"What are you working on?" Hermione questioned, curiosity creeping into her voice.

"Just an order form for St. Mungo's," Draco replied, brushing his hair out of his eyes. "They want some sort of new anesthetic potion."

"Is that different than what you usually get?"

"No," he said, shaking his head. "We get a lot of orders that request things like this. This one happens to be very specific however, and it's driving me crazy."

Hermione opened her mouth to respond, but was stopped by a knock on the door. She sighed, annoyed that she couldn't ask her question. "Come in," she called, placing Hogwarts: A History back on the side table.

"I will," Blaise commented, already inside the room, closing the door behind him. "Thanks for the permission though."

Hermione rolled her eyes, biting her lip as she pushed the book fully onto the table. She blew out a puff of air in finality as she succeeded in her efforts. She turned her head back to face the door, her eyes widening in surprise.

"Well there's your textbook definition of tall, dark and handsome," she commented, glancing at the dark-haired Slytherin's attire, which consisted of a charcoal black suit and a deep crimson dress shirt.

"Don't get him started," Draco commented from his seat. "He already has an over inflated ego."

"You're just jealous," Blaise smirked, running his fingers through his perfectly styled hair. "You know you can't ever compete with all this."

"All of what?" Draco asked, shooting his friend a well placed smirk.

"Like I said. Jealous," Blaise said, shrugging. "No matter how hard you try, you'll never reach my level of appeal Drake."

"I don't need to," Draco scoffed. "I'm already multiple levels above you."

"Yeah, sure," Blaise laughed.

"Why are you so dressed up Blaise?" Hermione asked, her eyes still looking over his professional wardrobe choice.

"The Ministry's New Year banquet is tonight," Blaise answered. "It's one of those things you're just expected to go to whether or not you think you'll enjoy it."

"Right," Hermione muttered, twirling a piece of hair between her fingers. "I forgot about that."

"I wouldn't be too depressed that you're missing it Granger," Blaise commented with a sigh. "I have a feeling it's going to be rather boring."

"Question. If you really are attending the Ministry banquet, why in Merlin's name are you here?" Draco asked, his eyes still glued to his papers.

"Oh you know. I just felt like popping in," Blaise responded sarcastically.

Draco snorted softly, his foot tapping gently against the floor.

"Actually Potter had a New Year's thingamajig for you Granger, but he's been at the Ministry all day doing who knows what, so he asked me to drop it off for him," Blaise said, pulling a small parcel out of his pocket, and handing it to the bushy-haired witch. "Seriously. The guy can't take five minutes to do this?"

"Thanks Blaise," Hermione said with a smile, placing the package next to her on the bed. "Would you mind taking something back to Harry for me?"

Blaise sighed good-naturedly. "Well since I seem to be the messenger boy today….yeah I guess I could manage to take something back."

Hermione grinned, her smile faltering a bit as she realized something. "I hope I have it."

"Where is it?" Blaise questioned, glancing down at his watch.

"I'm not actually sure," Hermione admitted. "Can you hand me that bag by the wall?"

A flash of confusion marred the handsome wizard's face for a moment before he noticed the aforementioned bag; picking it up and handing it to Hermione. She shuffled through the bag, her brow slightly creased as she searched.

"Perfect. I did put it in here," she smiled, pulling out a large roll of parchment. "Can you hand me that quill? I have to write something down really quick."

Blaise nodded, picking up the quill from the side table and offering it to her. "Please tell me you didn't write all that for Potter?"

"Of course I did," Hermione said without looking up. "I've been working on it for a while." She finished writing, handing the quill back to Blaise, who placed it neatly alongside the copy of Hogwarts: A History. "You can get this to him right?" she questioned.

"Yes," Blaise replied, taking the parchment from her. "May take me a bit to track him down tonight, but I'll get it to him."

Hermione smiled appreciatively. "Thanks Blaise."

"My pleasure," he grinned, glancing at his watch again. "I should get going. I promised Pansy I'd be back in like half an hour."

"Blaise," Draco commented, stopping the dark-haired Slytherin inches from the door. "Can you hit the lightswitch on your way out? It's getting a bit dark in here."

Blaise scoffed, shooting a smirk at the blond wizard. "What am I your house-elf? Do it yourself."

Draco sighed, putting down his stack of papers as he rose. "What a helper you are," he commented drily as he walked past the other wizard to the wall switch.

"I know," Blaise smirked. "Happy New Year you two."

Hermione thanked him again as he left; Draco leaned against the wall, shaking his head. The door clicked lightly behind the retreating Slytherin and Hermione smirked at she looked at Draco.

"What?" He questioned, a small laugh mingling with his words.

"You are jealous," she replied with a smirk. "I told Blaise he looked good and it's totally throwing you off your rocker."

"Please," Draco scoffed lightly, his infamous smirk back in place. "I have no reason to be jealous of Blaise."

"Mhmm," Hermione laughed. "You're green Draco."

"Clever," Draco admitted. "But still false."

Hermione shook her head, a smile still on her face. "I was going to ask you to accompany me to that banquet you know," she commented, her smile fading slightly.

"It's okay 'Mione," Draco said, moving away from the door and back towards the bed.

"What would you have said?" She asked, her warm hazel eyes searching his.

"I think you know," he said, kissing her softly.

"I just wanted to make sure," she whispered, looking up at him through her long lashes.

"You should never doubt it," Draco said, entwining his fingers with hers. "And there's nowhere else I'd rather be tonight that with you. No matter where we are or what we're doing."

"Really?" Hermione questioned, doubt and hesitation clouding her voice.

"Hermione when are you going to stop doubting how I feel about you?" Draco asked, tucking stray curl behind her ear.

"I don't know. It still feels a bit unreal," she murmured. "Like I'm dreaming and I'll wake up any moment and none of this will exist."

Draco squeezed her hand gently, his grey eyes locked with hers. "Hermione….I want to ask you something," he said softly.

"Of course," she replied, her heartbeat quickening with doubt.

He smiled softly, reaching into his pocket and withdrawing a small velvet box. Hermione's eyes widened and her hands traveled to her mouth in shock. He opened the small box, revealing a simple yet intricate diamond encrusted ring. She stifled a small sob; her hands still covering her mouth.

"Hermione Jean Granger….I love you. More than I could have ever imagined. You're the most amazing and brilliant witch that I know, and I love being around you. You have brightened my world, without even meaning to, and I can't imagine my life now without it. I want to spend the rest of my life with you; no matter how long that may be. I know this isn't how you had pictured your life, but all I know is that I want to be a part of that picture. Hermione….will you marry me?" Draco asked, successfully hiding the tremor in his voice.

Hermione nodded, silent tears running down her face. "I'll marry you a thousand times over if I need to."

Draco laughed, gently slipping the ring onto her finger. "And I'd love you each time you did."

Hermione smiled, a few tears still running down her cheeks; her eyes glowed as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer.

Merlin, he loved Hermione Granger. The way she kissed him, the way her arms felt around his neck, the slight slight saltiness from her tears he could taste on her lips, the way she had smiled today when she woke up, the way she nibbled on her bottom lip when she was reading, how she put on a brave face even when she was rattled to her bones. Gods he loved her more than he could ever express.

Hermione broke away first; remaining close enough that he could still feel her small breaths warming his lips. She smiled, and this time it reached her eyes and beyond.

"You do realize its midnight right?" She whispered with a laugh.

"Is it? I hardly noticed," He replied, gently playing with her hair.

"You know what? I don't think it really matters at this point," she laughed, kissing him again. "I'm the happiest I've ever been right now. No matter how late it is."

…

A month later the healers gave Hermione the clear to leave the hospital permanently. She stressed about it for weeks before finally telling Draco.

"So they're letting you leave….and somehow that's an issue for you?" He questioned, confusion lining his words. "If I were you I'd be happy to get out of this place."

"Well if I get out, you get out," Hermione said, fiddling with the corner of her duvet. "The point isn't that I'm not happy to leave though...I just don't have somewhere to live. My flat was destroyed, and my parents live all the way in Australia."

"That's what you were worried about? Hermione that's ridiculous," Draco replied, ruffling through a large stack of file folders.

"It's not ridiculous. It's perfectly grounded and logical for me to worry about where I'm going to go," Hermione argued.

"Did you ever consider the fact that you could come live with me?" Draco asked, scrawling notes down on a spare piece of parchment. "We are engaged in case you forgot."

"I didn't forget," Hermione said quietly. "I just thought that might be...strange for you. And me I guess. I mean, this whole relationship between us was pretty fast paced. We weren't together for that long before my injury and though you've stayed here with me, we haven't exactly really done much as a couple. I just thought it might feel strange moving in together. Both us seem to enjoy our space, and I didn't know if that would bug you...having another person live in your house."

"Hermione," Draco said, looking up from his work. "It doesn't bother me. Besides; did you think of the fact that it would be extremely difficult for you to live by yourself?"

"No...I didn't really think of that," Hermione said with a frown. "We aren't married yet though… Living together…"

Draco sighed, looking back down at his papers. "We won't share a bed until we're married Hermione. You can have one of the numerous spare bedrooms to call your own.

Hermione blushed slightly, looking out the window. "I wasn't trying to insinuate anything...I've just never done something like this. I've always been independent….by myself you know?"

"I know," Draco replied gently. "I wasn't trying to make you feel uncomfortable. It would be dangerous for you to live on your own like this."

Hermione gave him a small smile. "Well the more I think about it, moving in with you does seem like the best option."

"That's because it is the best option," Draco smirked, glancing up from his work.

Hermione rolled her eyes with a laugh. "You are so full of yourself."

"But you love it," he replied simply, smiling as he continued to work.

…

The next weekend they moved out of the room at St Mungo's for good. It didn't take long for the pair to clear things out of the room; Draco had them all sent to the Manor while he and Hermione remained behind for a while longer to fill out the release papers. After the grueling paperwork, they flooed to Malfoy Manor; Hermione held lightly in Draco's arms as he stepped out of the roaring flames into the lobby of the Manor.

"Master Draco! Rillie puts all the boxes you is sending over in the east sitting room likes you wanted," Rillie squeaked, a large lopsided smile on her face.

"Thank you Rillie," Draco replied, smiling to himself as the elf disappeared with a small pop. He continued down the hall until they reached the sitting room; setting Hermione down gently on the sofa.

"This is Malfoy Manor?" Hermione asked, doubt resonating in her tone.

"Yes…?" Draco replied, confused. "Where else would we be?"

"I don't know, it just doesn't look like I remember it," Hermione admitted, glancing around the room. "I remember it being really dark, black and creepy….this doesn't seem the same. This room has pastels and windows that let in light."

"From the last time you were here, you are remembering it correctly," Draco said, putting some of his files into the desk drawer in the corner of the room. "That's how the Manor looked from when my grandfather inherited it down to my father." His features contorted slightly in disgust as he talked about it. "But after I turned eighteen, my father gave the Manor to me, and I decided that a change in scenery was much needed."

"It looks much better," Hermione agreed. "When did you start working on it?"

"Right after I inherited it," Draco responded, leaning over the back of the sofa. "It started pretty small, with just a few rooms at a time. It takes quite some time to remodel something; even with magic. I've done everything but the master bedroom and exterior of the house and grounds."

"Really?" Hermione said with surprise. "I didn't even notice the few times I've been here since the first time."

"As far as I recall, the other two times you've been to the Manor once was in the middle of the night, and the other was some sort of search mission where I'm sure you weren't focused on the scenery," Draco pointed out.

"True," Hermione said, running her fingers through her hair. "So exactly how many spare rooms do you have?"

"Since I'm the only one that lives here, there's about six or seven," Draco replied. "Two or three on each side of the house as far as I remember."

"So there's one facing east?" Hermione said, her smile growing.

Draco paused for a moment, a pensive look on his face. "Yes," he finally answered. "There's a room that overlooks the garden the windows and terrace are pointed towards the east. You can have it if you want. I don't think it's ever been used."

Hermione beamed. "I love rooms facing either east or west. Sunrises and sunsets are breathtaking."

A smile tugged at the corner of Draco's lips as he sat down; content to listen to her talk about the sun and any other thing that came to her mind.


	21. Thunder Reigns

Thunder Reigns

"Draco do you think I could spend the day outside?"

Hermione looked up from her novel, waiting to hear Draco's reaction to her question. He was over in the library's small kitchenette, making himself a cup of coffee.

"That's a rather odd request," he replied, turning around so he could face her; blowing small streams of air onto his steaming coffee. "I don't see why not. What do you want to do outside?"

Hermione smiled, closing the book and placing it on the couch beside her. "Well I was thinking about what you said about remodeling the Manor...and I thought I could help. I won't do much," she said hurriedly, seeing his warning gaze. "I won't move around. I'll stick to one flower bed the whole time. I promise."

"Hermione…" Draco said slowly, sipping at his beverage. "I don't know if-"

"Please? I haven't been outside since the accident and I just feel like I need to _do_ something," Hermione interrupted him; her tone bordering on pleading. "I'm really good at gardening. Both the muggle way and the magic way...my mum taught me."

Draco laughed quietly. "That must be some gift all mother's have...my mother was quite fond of it as well."

"Draco I promise I won't try anything stupid. I just want to do something," Hermione repeated. "If anything happens I promise that I'll owl you."

Draco was silent, and Hermione could see the wheels in his head turning as he mulled over what she had said. "Alright," he consented, emptying his coffee mug. "I trust you know not to do anything rash."

"I never do anything rash," Hermione laughed. "Besides, I need to take my mind off of things and doing chores often does that for me."

"That makes one of us," Draco sighed.

…

Hermione brushed her hands off on her jeans, smiling slightly at the brown streaks they left. She gently picked up a package of seeds from the ground beside her; lifting one out and holding it gently in the palm of her hand. She blinked as she watched it slowly grow, sprouting small green vines that curled lightly around her fingers. Hermione carefully placed it in the small hole she had dug; watching as the sprouts burrowed their way into the earth, keeping the seed held in place. Pushing dirt onto the seed, she smiled as the vines crept up through the soil; sprouting until they furled into brilliant red blossoms. Beaming she looked around the rest of the brightly colored flower bed, admiring her work. It had taken her quite a while to plant each one of those seeds since they all had to be done separately. Hermione had planted each one with wandless magic; something she hadn't done since….well since forever.

She jumped slightly as a twig snapped behind her, revealing that she was no longer alone. She turned her head slightly, in order to see who her companion was...and whether or not she was in serious trouble. "Blaise," she breathed, her heartbeat slowing.

"Granger," he acknowledged. "You're outside."

"Yeah," she smiled, taking another seed out of the cloth bag. "I wanted some fresh air after being in that hospital for so long."

"So you decided to do yard work?" Blaise questioned, confused. "That's rather odd."

"Draco's been remodeling the Manor...but he hasn't gotten to the yard yet, and that's something that I know how to do, so I decided to help out," Hermione replied.

Blaise watched, momentarily shocked to see the small vines twisting around her hand before they disappeared into the ground. "Strange….chores isn't necessarily something I would choose to do. But to each her own I suppose."

Hermione laughed, carefully tucking the seed into its soil bed. "What did you need Blaise? I can't do much, but I suppose I could try to help you with whatever you need."

"I just had something for Draco, but I take it he's not here," Blaise responded, tucking his hands into his pockets.

Hermione shook her head. "He went back to work today, and probably won't be back for a bit. You can leave it in his office or the labs if you want."

"I suppose I could do that," Blaise agreed with a nod. "You need anything while I'm here?"

"I'm good. Thanks though," Hermione smiled. "You can drop by later if you want to talk to him."

"I probably will," Blaise replied. "Have a good rest of your day Granger."

…

Hermione had continued to plant flowers and other various shrubs and greenery throughout the rest of the day, pausing only for an hour to continue in her novel as a small break; leaning back against the wall of the house. That's where Draco found her when he arrived back at the Manor; dropping his bag and cloak off in his office before heading out to the gardens. A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he watched her turn the pages of the book; her delicate fingers leaving small smudges of the pages as she turned them.

"The gardens are looking much better," he commented, his smile begging to be loosed as he watched her bushy curls bounce as she lifted her head to look at him; her face breaking into a smile.

"I only did one flowerbed...and the surrounding area," Hermione replied, brushing her hair behind her ear. "It doesn't make too much of a difference.

"It makes all the different," Draco countered, taking a seat on the grass next to her. "I rather like it."

He waved his wand, watching as all the flowerbeds duplicated themselves and showered the gardens with color. "That's better," he commented, pocketing his wand.

Hermione nodded, looking down at her hands. "It does look much better with all of them filled."

"What's wrong?" Draco questioned softly, placing a hand on her knee.

"Nothing," Hermione said, resting her hand on top of his. "I'm just tired. I haven't done anything for a while, and this was slightly draining."

Draco's brow furrowed slightly at her answer, but he chose not to push the subject. "It is getting late, and you've worked yourself quite hard. We should head inside."

Hermione nodded, wrapping her arms around his neck as he lifted her off the ground; carrying her inside to the living room. She released her hold from his neck, leaning back heavily onto the couch and relishing in it's comfort. "Thank you," she smiled, releasing a small sigh.

"Of course," Draco replied, putting the book down next her her on the couch. "Did you get anything to eat today?"

"Rillie brought me some food around lunchtime and she offered me snacks periodically throughout the day," Hermione said, grabbing a comforter from the back of the couch and wrapping it around her shoulders.

"Good," Draco responded, loosening his tie. "Thank you for your help with the garden."

"Sure," Hermione smiled, her attentions diverted as the fireplace roared to life, allowing a certain dark-haired wizard to step out.

"Draco," Blaise said, brushing imaginary dust off of his cloak. "

"Blaise. What are you doing here?" Draco questioned, running his fingers through his hair. "It's late."

"I forgot to tell you...Blaise is coming over," Hermione said with a grimace.

"I can see that," Draco replied drily. "Follow me to the kitchen?" he called to Blaise over his shoulder. "I have a feeling that I'm going to need a drink for this conversation."

Blaise nodded as the fireplace roared again, and Pansy stepped through, flipping her hair out of her eyes. "Hey," she said breathlessly. "Sorry. I forgot my purse."

Blaise rolled his eyes, and followed Draco down the hall towards the kitchen; leaving the two witches on their own. Pansy sat down on the couch next to Hermione, straightening the smooth fabric of her shirt self-consciously. Hermione sighed, wrapping the blanket tighter around her shoulders.

"There's no way they're talking about work," she muttered, her voice slightly muffled by the duvet.

"I know," Pansy agreed. "Blaise always talks to me about work...but this...this he wouldn't say anything about."

"Well it's bloody stupid that they won't tell us," Hermione grumbled, glaring in the direction of the kitchen.

"I think they'll probably tell us when they are ready," Pansy replied. "Are you up for a game of wizard's chess?"

Hermione snorted softly. "I'm awful at wizard's chess. I don't think I've won a game in my entire life."

"I'm equally as bad," Pansy laughed. "But i've found it takes quite a bit of concentration...which pulls your mind away from other things."

"True," Hermione agreed, and the game commenced.

…

"This had better be important Zabini."

The dark-haired Slytherin sighed in exasperation, leaning moodily against the kitchen wall. "Do you really think I'd be here right now if it wasn't? I do have a life you know."

"That's a surprise," Draco said snarkily, pouring himself a bottle of Ogden's firewhiskey and passing the bottle to Blaise. "For a minute there, I thought you just wallowed around your home, wondering what to do with yourself."

"Stuff it," Blaise shot back, accepting the bottle and pouring himself a generous helping. "This is important...I just thought you didn't want to hear it while Granger was around, all things considered.

Draco looked at the other wizard over the edge of his glass. "Why is that?"

"Well it's Death Eater related and I'm sure that's still a rather touchy subject," Blaise rationed.

"Just get on with it. I'm shattered," Draco groaned, leaning over the counter-top.

Blaise sighed, taking another drink before beginning. "Ministries are falling Drake."

"What?"

Blaise nodded, shoving one hand into his pocket. "Smaller ones in Africa and South America. Gone. Wiped out."

"Isn't that what the Death Eater's tried to do to the Ministry here? Back when He was still in charge?" Draco questioned.

Blaise shook his head, his expression showing his fatigue. "No. Back when The Dark Lord was in charge, the Death Eaters took over the Ministry. They didn't destroy it. That's what's happening with these ones. It seems like Bellatrix is heading for world domination. At least the wizarding world."

"Merlin," Draco sighed, draining his glass. "Can't the woman take a break?"

"Apparently not," Blaise replied, glancing at the window as they heard distant thunder rumble, and slight spatters of rain hitting the window. "It seems rather odd though. I didn't think Bellatrix would jump to something this big so quickly."

"She's insane Blaise," Draco pointed out, running his fingers through his hair. "She doesn't have barriers anymore. She's not going to stop."

"I know she's not going to stop," Blaise responded angrily. "That's the point. We have to do something or she's going to take down each and every Ministry around the world."

"I'm assuming that Potter is taking care of this?" Draco questioned, a pensive look on his face.

"Why do you think he hasn't been by to pester you about Granger?" Blaise responded. "He's dealing with the wreckage of the smaller South American Ministry. Weasley took one of the African ones."

"How many Ministries has she taken out?"

Blaise paused in consideration before answering the blond's question. "Twelve. Just the one in South America and the other six are in Africa."

"Twelve," Draco repeated, a small fire smoldering behind his gaze. "Why do I have a feeling this is going to get a hell of a lot worse?"

"It's Bellatrix," Blaise laughed humorlessly. "I don't think it's ever been anything but hell."

"She's the living representation of it," Draco replied, tapping his fingers against the marble countertop.

"Speaking of living-and on a lighter note- how are the conditions between you and Granger? I see she's moved into your place."

Draco sighed in irritation. "Knock it off Zabini. You know she doesn't have anywhere else to go, and we _are_ engaged in case you forgot. Besides you and Pansy have been living together for who knows how long and you aren't even in a serious relationship."

"I'd think it was pretty serious if we've been living together for 'who knows how long' as you put it," Blaise replied, one eyebrow arched in the blond's direction. "When are you planning on letting everyone else know you're engaged?"

"It's not up to me," Draco responded. "It's Granger's choice when she wants to reveal it. I'm not overly concerned about it."

Blaise shrugged, staring into the contents of his glass. "You realize we could all die before then?"

Draco nodded somberly. "I'm fully aware of that fact. However, I'm done thinking about death and about Bellatrix. I don't want those kinds of thoughts to impact my future. If I let fear run my life like I used to; it's never going to get any better than this."

"Not to be the constant pessimist, but it probably won't get better than this," Blaise sighed. "But I suppose that doesn't mean that we can't make the best of it."

Draco nodded a small smile tugging at his features. "How's work going? I haven't actually talked to you in quite a while."

"That's an understatement," Blaise scoffed. "Work is fine I suppose. We're being driven up a wall to close this business deal with the American Ministry, but it seems to be falling through. They're finding too many loopholes. It's driving me insane."

"No one ever said the Ministry was a well functioning machine," Draco pointed out, pouring himself another glass of firewhiskey.

"I'll agree to that," Blaise said, rubbing the back of his neck.

Draco opened his mouth to reply, but was stopped when Pansy entered the room an annoyed expression on her face. "Someone's in a bad mood," he commented instead, glancing at her over the rim of his glass.

"Hermione beat me at wizard's chess," Pansy huffed good naturedly. "She claims she never won a single game before, but from the way she played just barely...I highly doubt it."

Blaise laughed, catching himself as she shot a well placed glare in his direction. "Sorry."

Pansy rolled her eyes in response, crossing her arms lightly over her chest. "Anyways, I'm not exactly upset, but Hermione seems pretty exhausted. So if you and Draco have finished your conversation, we should probably be going."

Blaise nodded, taking her arm and setting his glass down on the countertop. Draco set his glass next to it and followed the pair from the room, smiling when he saw Hermione bearing a rather triumphant grin as she sat on the couch. She bid Blaise and Pansy farewell, the flash of green light from the fireplace reflecting playfully across her eyes. Once the flames had died, she turned her gaze back towards Draco; doing a slight dance in her seat.

"I won," she said giddily. "I've never won a game of wizard's chess in my life! I guess watching Harry and Ron play for years finally stuck with me."

Draco laughed softly, sitting down on the sofa next to her. "You're brilliant Hermione. You were bound to pick it up eventually."

Hermione smiled, lacing her arms around his neck and softly pressing her lips against his. "You're warm," she smiled against his lips; feeling him wrap his arms tighter around her, enveloping her in his warmth.

Thunder crashed outside, causing her to jump slightly, breaking her lips away from his. "Sorry," she muttered, a slight blush rising in her cheeks.

"What do you have to be sorry about?" He murmured, his fingers tracing lazy patterns on her spine.

"I'm rather scared of thunderstorms," Hermione admitted, lowering her gaze slightly.

"Thunderstorms? The witch who helped defeat one of the most powerful wizards in the world is scared of thunder and lightning?" Draco teased, pecking her lightly on the lips.

"I know it's silly," Hermione laughed, leaning closer to him as thunder rolled outside the window. She yawned, tiredly lacing her fingers through his.

"You've overworked yourself Hermione," Draco said softly. "We should get you to bed."

Hermione nodded, another yawn stretching across her features. Draco lifted her carefully off of the couch; smiling as her eyelids drooped and her head rested lightly against his shoulder. He walked slowly up the stairs, careful not to jostle her as he reached her room, placing her gently under the covers and many blankets that dotted the bed. Making sure she was comfortably situated, he quietly left the room and walked down the hall to his own.

He woke sometime around midnight to a sharp scream from down the hall. He rose from his bed, and made his way quickly to Hermione's room; finding her propped up on her elbows in bed, her chest heaving and her eyes wide.

"What's wrong?" he questioned, crossing the room to stand next to her bed. "Are you hurt?"

"No," she replied shakily. "It was just a nightmare. I'm sorry I woke you."

"It's okay," Draco said softly. "I'm a light sleeper to begin with."

"I guess it's just the storm," she whispered, turning her head to the window where the rain still pounded against the wide panels. She flinched as a loud clap of thunder sounded close to them; her chest still heaving slightly. "Will you stay?" she asked, her voice barely audible. "Just until I fall asleep?"

Draco nodded, turning to take a seat in the armchair next to her bed.

"Draco," Hermione whispered again, her gaze turned back towards his. "I need you…. I'm… I'm scared."

"Hermione….we agreed we weren't going to do something like this," he replied, lightly taking her hand in his.

"I know. But I just need you right now. I'm scared and I feel alone," she admitted, a single tear slipping out of the corner of her eye. "I just want you to hold me until I fall asleep."

Draco nodded, slipping into the bed next to her. Hermione lay back down, flinching again as another clap of thunder sounded outside. Draco's brow furrowed slightly as he wrapped his arms around her; not missing how her shoulders shook slightly and her breath rattled in her chest.

"I used to love storms like this," she whispered shakily. "Now all they remind me of is pain and battle and death. I close my eyes….and the thunder sounds like the marching of Death Eaters and giants coming to kill us all...the lightning flashes behind my eyelids just like a curse flying by me to hit someone...draining the life from them. All I see and hear is death."

"Hermione," Draco murmured, slowly running his fingers through her hair. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"It seemed so trivial… You were right when you said it was strange for me to be afraid of thunderstorms when I've been around Harry my whole life; fighting and seeing death. I helped defeat Voldemort...the most powerful dark wizard in the world, yet I can't handle a little storm," Hermione replied.

"Hermione, you've been through so many things in your life. They're bound to have an immeasurable effect on you," he said softly. "I'm sorry I didn't take you seriously."

"I didn't really want you too," Hermione whispered. "I thought I could do it by myself…"

Draco kissed her lightly on the top of her head. "Hermione independence doesn't mean that you have to go through everything by yourself."

"I'm sorry," she replied, slipping her hand into his.

"It's okay," Draco murmured. "Just try and get some sleep. "We can put silencing spells on the room so you don't hear the storm."

"Don't," Hermione said. "You can learn to face your fears when you have someone do go through it with."

He nodded slowly. "Try and get some sleep Hermione."

"Thank you for staying," she said quietly, letting her eyes fall closed.

 _ **A/N: Wahoo! One more chapter done! I know it's not a super long chapter, but sometimes that's how it goes. Anyways, thank you for all of you that have reviewed, favorited and followed! It means a lot. :) As always, I don't own anything, and please let me know what you think!**_


	22. Something Known as Fate

Something Known as Fate

Hermione sat on the couch, a cup of tea warming her lap. She tugged the sleeves of her sweater down over her hands, her eyes slowly skimming the pages of the open volume in front of her. She sighed, looking over to the blond wizard beside her who was also pouring over a book. Notes lay scattered around him; some in neat piles and others sticking out of pages in the book, his neat handwriting covering the beige parchments.

"What are you working on?" She questioned, leaning over his shoulder to peer at the pages.

"Just something for work," Draco replied, kissing her on the side of her head.

"I think I'm ready Draco," Hermione said softly, resting her hand on his.

He turned his head slightly, closing the book in front of him. "Ready for what?"

"To tell Harry and Ron…." she said with a small laugh. "It seems silly, but their opinion matters to me."

"It's not silly. They're practically your family, no matter how much it pains me to admit," Draco replied with a sigh. "I'd never want to be that close to the Wonder Duo, but it seems to have worked out all right for you."

"Stop it," Hermione smiled, hitting him lightly. "I know you'll never get along with them, but they really do mean alot to me."

"I know," Draco said. "If it's not too soon for you, Potter is coming over tonight and I'm sure that his red-haired attachment will be with him."

Hermione shot him a sharp look that was quickly replaced with confusion. "Why is Harry coming here? You two hate each other."

"I'm aware," he commented drily. "He's dropping off his godson. He has business to attend to, and Andromeda is going away for the weekend so the kid is coming to spend the weekend."

"Teddy is coming?" Hermione asked, her eyes lighting up. "I thought you were….uncomfortable around him."

"I still am," Draco replied, clearing his throat in discomfort. "However, I have been over to Andromeda's home a few times since my first visit and apparently my young cousin has become rather attached to me."

"How long is he staying for? Andromeda doesn't leave very often…" Hermione mused, tapping her fingers lightly on the cover of the book.

"Correct. It's a weekend trip. She's going to talk to some….old friends and see if she can help us with out Bellatrix problem," Draco said, turning back to his notes. "She thinks they might have more information that we aren't getting."

Hermione nodded, a pensive look on her face. "So when is Harry dropping Teddy off?"

Draco glanced at the watch on his wrist. "In about half an hour if he is on time. But if he's being classically tardy as always… he should be here in about an hour."

"He's not always late…." Hermione scolded, trying to keep the smile out of her voice.

"I can count the number of times he was on time to class on one hand. What does that tell you?" Draco smirked, running his finger down the page of his book; looking for something.

"Okay, so Harry isn't the most punctual person in the world," Hermione admitted. "But at least his tardiness will give me time to think about how to present this to him best. This time, there's an advantage to him always being late."

Draco snorted softly. "Potter somehow being helpful? Are we talking about the same Potter?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, shifting the book off of her lap as the fireplace roared to life. Draco looked up from his work and groaned; snapping the volume shut. "Make that a few seconds to prepare," he said, glancing at Hermione.

"Nice to see you too Malfoy," Harry sighed, setting his teal haired godson down on the floor as the fireplace roared to life once again.

"You're already acting like a prat?" Ron scoffed, stepping out of the green flames. "Well I guess that is classic Malfoy."

"Oh look," Draco commented, getting up off of the couch, and straightening his vest. "Both half of the idiots has arrived."

"Hermiminee!" Teddy exclaimed, retreating from Harry's side and racing towards Hermione; catapulting himself into her lap.

"Teddy!" Hermione greeted, pulling him into her arms. "Look at you! You've gotten so big!"

"I knows! Look!" Teddy said, opening his mouth wide. "I losts my first tooth! See?"

Hermione looked into the young boy's mouth, a smile tugging at her lips. "I do see! You've got a great big hole in your mouth!"

"I pulled it out two days ago!" Teddy proclaimed, holding up his still slightly chubby fingers.

"You're such a brave boy," Hermione replied, ruffling his teal colored hair.

Teddy puffed out his chest slightly, turning in her lap so he could see the other people in the room. "Drwaco! You play quidditch with me? I brought all of my teams! Uncle Harry boughts me some more since last times."

Draco nodded slowly. "Okay. Why don't we go up to your room and play with them there?"

Teddy nodded enthusiastically; jumping off Hermione's lap to grab Draco's hand and drag him towards the stairs.

"Oh you're not staying Malfoy?" Ron commented drily, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I'll be around Weasley," Draco replied before turning to Hermione. "Enjoy the….charming company."

"Draco…" Hermione warned, shooting him a sharp glance.

"I just needed to get it out of my system," he said with a shrug, allowing his young cousin to pull him from the room.

"What a wonderful living companion," Ron sighed, running his hand through his russet colored hair. "Ready to go Harry?"

"Wait!" Hermione interrupted. "I need to talk to both of you. I won't take long."

Harry nodded, gesturing for Ron to take a seat with him on the couch. "We're all ears," he said, folding his hands in his lap.

Hermione nodded, taking a deep breath before diving right in. "I know neither of you approve of Draco...or enjoy his company for that matter; but the more time I spent around him, the more I started to notice how much he had and has changed. He's different. Kinder, more understanding and accepting. He agreed to help us, and he has been since this whole thing started. I… I think you noticed Harry, but I started feeling different towards him."

"So you decided to have feelings for Malfoy?" Ron asked, a tinge of disgust laced into his words.

" _Decided_ to have feelings? That was hardly intentional Ronald," Hermione said firmly. "The details don't matter though. All that matters is that….I care for him. A lot. And there's something else that I want to tell you."

"What?" Ron and Harry said in unison, their eyes locking with hers.

"Draco and I are engaged," she replied evenly; gauging their faces for a reaction. "We have been for a little over a month. I just didn't tell you because…..well because I didn't want-I didn't know, if you would react badly. You're approval matters to me, even if my choices won't change because of it."

There was a long pause after Hermione finished speaking; the only sounds being the small thumps from upstairs where Teddy was playing.

"It's about bloody time," Harry finally sighed, a small smile creeping across his features. "I was wondering when you two were going to end up together."

"How long have you known?" Hermione questioned.

"Well I didn't know you were engaged, but it's pretty obvious that you were together. I mean, Malfoy was constantly with you while you were at St Mungo's," Harry answered with a soft laugh.

Hermione smiled, turning to Ron who hadn't said a word. "Ron?" She asked softly, lightly resting her hand on his knee.

The freckled man sighed, running his fingers slowly through his russet hair. "Well I suppose if Charlie can spend his life around dragons and learn to love them….you can love yours too."

"What a clever analogy Weasley," Draco drawled, coming back into the room. "How ever did you come up with it?"

A small laugh escaped from Hermione, who attempted to cover it with her hand, but failed miserably. "It doesn't matter."

Ron rolled his eyes, suddenly interested in the stitching pattern on his shoes. "What do you want Malfoy?"

"Teddy wants his bag. He said Potter has it," Draco replied simply, turning his grey eyes to the messy haired man.

Harry nodded, reaching into his robe pockets for a small bag which expanded to its original size within a few seconds. He tossed it to the blond wizard, who caught it deftly with one hand before exiting the room.

"Thank you Harry...and thank you Ron," Hermione beamed, her eyes shining slightly. "You don't know how much this means to me."

Ron nodded once, his eyes still on his shoes; Harry offered her a smile in return before glancing at the clock on the wall. "We've got to go Hermione."

"I know. I'm sorry I kept you longer than you had planned for," Hermione said, watching as the two boys rose from the couch.

Harry and Ron walked over to the fireplace and grabbed pinches of powder.

"Wait," Hermione said again, stopping the pair right before they left. "Please be careful."

"We will 'Mione," Ron replied, meeting her eyes before the two men disappeared in a flash of green flame.

Hermione sat completely still; watching the green light flicker off of the walls until it died completely, not noticing that Draco had re-entered the room and was leaning silently against the doorframe.

"That was uncharacteristically easy," he commented softly, watching as she turned her head around to look at him.

"It was rather strange," she agreed. "I didn't think that they would take it so easily."

"Aren't you glad that they did though?" Draco questioned, walking over to the couch to sit down beside her. "No one got hurt, and I didn't feel like hexing them once tonight."

"That's definitely improvement," Hermione laughed, pecking him lightly on the cheek.

"Whatever you say," he smiled, tilting her head slightly so he could press his lips into hers. "I'm not sure how long I can keep it up for. Potter and Weasley drive me insane," he added between kisses.

Hermione laughed again, leaning her head against his shoulder. "If we're being completely honest, they drive me a little crazy sometimes too."

"Pretty sure everyone feels that way," Draco said honestly, running his fingers through her hair.

Hermione smiled, feeling his arm wind its way around her waist. "Did you know you're my favorite?" she murmured, folding her hand into his.

"I had suspicions," he smirked, kissing her again.

"Draco," she sighed. "Where's Teddy?"

The blond groaned, removing his fingers from her hair. "He's upstairs setting up a quidditch pitch on his bedroom floor. He wants me to play with him….."

"So what's the big deal? It's just a kid's quidditch game," Hermione responded, her brow slightly creased.

"Merlin it's so uncomfortable," he said in exasperation. "I don't know what to say around him, or how to act, or anything. I've never been...a people person, and I'm even worse around children."

"Draco, Teddy loves you," Hermione said gently. "I can see it. He wants to play with _you_. He could have asked me, but he asked you. Teddy doesn't know much about family Draco… but he's accepted you. You're part of his family now, and there's nothing you can do to change his mind."

Draco opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted by the sound of small feet plodding down the stairs. "Drwaco," Teddy said, running into the room; small quidditch figurines held in his small hands. "I sets up the quidditch pitch...can we play now?"

Draco nodded, accepting the figure that Teddy placed in his hand. "Run upstairs and I'll be up in just a second okay?"

Teddy nodded, his teal hair bouncing on his head as he ran back up the stairs. Draco turned to Hermione with a small sigh. "I guess I'd better head up there….care to join us?"

Hermione laughed, but allowed Draco to pick her up and carry her upstairs to the room where Teddy sat on the floor surrounded by miniature quidditch toys. Draco put her down lightly on the small bed and took his seat on the floor beside Teddy, where their small game of quidditch ensued.

The game had been going for almost half an hour, when the fireplace chimed. Draco waved his hand over the small quidditch pitch, bringing a halt to the fast moving figures. "I'll be back," he said to no one in particular, getting up and walking out of the room.

Hermione watched him leave, her attention drawn back when a small noise escaped from the small boy on the floor. She turned, a smile stealing her features as the small boy yawned again; another small sound squeaking out of his mouth. "'Scuse me," he said, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

"You ready for bed?" she asked, watching as he put the quidditch player from his hand back on the floor.

Teddy nodded, crawling over to the bed where he lay down by her feet, slowly closing his eyes. "Oh no you don't," Hermione laughed, bending over slightly so she could lift him into her arms. "Why would you want to sleep on the floor when you have this perfectly good bed right here?"

"Floor 's soft," Teddy mumbled, curling up tighter in her arms.

"The bed is even softer," Hermione replied, turning slightly so she could pull down the covers on the bed. "Let's get you to sleep kiddo."

Hermione set him down softly, pulling the fluffy covers up over his small shoulders and tucking them carefully around him. Teddy mumbled something inaudible, stuffing his face into the pillows.

"What was that?" Hermione asked softly, rubbing small circles on his back.

"I wants my woofy," Teddy responded, flipping over so he could look at her. "He's in my bag."

Hermione nodded, grabbing the small bag from the other end of the bed and unzipping it. The desired toy was right on top and she pulled it from the bag and put in in Teddy's outstretched arms. As soon as he got the toy, he automatically closed his eyes again; squeezing the stuffed wolf tightly to his chest.

"Sings a song?" Teddy asked quietly. "Gramma always does."

"Oh...Teddy I don't sing," Hermione replied. "I'm not very good."

"Doesn't madder," Teddy mumbled. "I can'ts sleep without a song."

"Okay," Hermione said softly. "I only know a few."

Teddy nodded, burying his nose into the soft fur of the stuffed wolf. Hermione waited for a few moments before she started to sing...her voice softly filling the small room.

Hush-a-bye, don't you cry,

Go to sleepy little baby.

When you wake, you shall have,

All the pretty little horses.

Blacks and bays, dapples and greys,

Hush-a-bye, don't you cry,

Go to sleepy little baby.

Hush-a-bye, don't you cry,

Go to sleepy little baby,

When you wake, you shall have,

All the pretty little horses.

By the time the song was done, Teddy was asleep; the stuffed wolf still clutched tightly in his arms. Hermione sat still, looking at him; almost jealous of how peaceful he seemed. The horrors of this world had already touched his little life; yet he managed to remain happy and content with what he had. She smiled as she looked at the fluffy toy in his arms….Remus…. His father. Andromeda must have given it to him. Her smile widened slightly as she noticed the thin pink ribbon around it's jumped slightly as she turned around; her eyes falling on the blond wizard who leaned silently against the frame of the door.

"How long have you been there?" she whispered.

"Not long," he replied softly, flicking his wand to dim the lights so Teddy could sleep.

"Draco I-"

"Hermione. If you want to talk, we should do it somewhere else. We could wake Teddy and I'd rather not deal with a sleep deprived child," Draco stopped her.

Hermione nodded, letting him carefully lift her off of the bed. He walked down the hall in silence, quietly opening the door to her room. Draco put her down on her bed, making sure she was comfortable before taking a seat beside her on the corner of the bed.

"I'm sorry," Hermione said, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"What are you talking about?" he replied, confusing lining his handsome features.

"You were spending time with Teddy….and I just-"

"Hermione, Teddy is here all weekend. What is this really about?" Draco stopped her.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

"I said we could talk because you looked like you needed to get something off of your chest. I know it wasn't some apology about something that doesn't even matter. Now, what's wrong? Really," he asked, his grey eyes flashing in the dim light of the room.

"I just realized something….while I was there with Teddy," she whispered, avoiding his gaze. "I….."

She paused, her hands shaking slightly. She felt his hand grasp hers; the warmth of his hand giving her a sense of comfort. "Hermione….what is it?"

Hermione turned back to him, clutching his hand tightly. "Draco. I realized more than one thing when I was there with Teddy. I love you. With all of my heart. I want to be with you forever….and I want to start a family with you. I just...I don't want anyone to go through what Teddy went through. I would never want our children to go through that. To lose your parents….to be left alone. This war with Bellatrix isn't going to stop. It's just going to get worse and worse. To bring children into a world like this...a world where there is so much death and torment. That's…"

"Hermione you have got to stop stressing about the future," he murmured, moving closer to her. "Yes, those worries are there, and they are well-grounded. But if we live our lives always fearing the future, then we will never get to live in the present. Everything happens for a reason Hermione, and if these worries do come to pass, then we will deal with them when they come. If our future children are put in Teddy's position, there are so many people here that would take them under their wing; like we've all done for Teddy. They wouldn't be alone Hermione. As much as it pains me to say, I have a feeling that as this war continues, the people that we associate with now will become more and more like family. Hermione, you just need to believe that everything is going to be okay. And it will be. I promise."

Hermione's eyes glistened slightly as he wrapped his arms around her; she rested her head on his chest, listening to the sound of his heartbeat. "Promise me you'll stop worrying? You've been through enough already without adding unnecessary stress and grief," Draco murmured into her hair.

"I promise," she whispered, holding him tighter.

Draco stroked her hair lightly, his thoughts whirling. "Hermione," he said thoughtfully. "What was the other thing you realized when you were with Teddy?"

Hermione cleared her throat, sitting up slightly so she could look into his eyes. "I'm going to learn how to walk again Draco."

"What?"

"I want to be able to walk myself down the aisle at our wedding," Hermione said, smiling softly. "Its got to be possible, and I'm going to find a way to do it."

Draco grinned, kissing her softly on her forehead. "I have no doubt that if anyone is capable of finding a way out of this, it's you."

"Will you help me? I can't do this without you," Hermione said, fingering the twisted band around her finger.

"Of course," he replied softly. "I would do anything for you. In fact, I've been researching...trying to find a way to make it easier. That thing I've been doing for work? It's for you; and if it works, for everyone like you."

"Why didn't you tell me? I could've helped you," Hermione said, shaking her head slightly. "I am the brightest witch of my age you know."

"I do know. And you seem to enjoy reminding me," Draco smirked. "I didn't tell you because I didn't want to make you do something you didn't want to do. I was going to make it and save it until you made the decision on your own."

"How did you know I'd choose this?" she smiled, brushing his hair out of his eyes.

"I didn't," he replied simply. "But I knew that if you did, I wanted to help you in any way that I could."

Hermione grinned, softly pressing her lips against his. "How did I ever get so lucky?"

"I don't think luck had anything to do with it," Draco responded, returning her caress. "I think it was something more often known as fate."

 _ **A/N: Okay, so the song that Hermione sings is called "All the Pretty Little Horses" by Kristin Hersh. It's a song I grew up with, and I thought it would be a nice touch to have Hermione sing it to Teddy. Also, I know Teddy's dialogue is kind of hard to read...in this fic he's around five years old, and I'm basing his speech off of a five year old girl I used to babysit.**_

 _ **Also, a bit thank you to the guest reviewer who pointed out my error in Fleur's french accent! It was very helpful! I went back and made some changes to "What to Tell the Order?" where Fleur speaks and tried to fix the mistakes. :)**_

 _ **As always, thank you for those who have been following this story since the beginning and for all of you who have reviewed, favorited and followed! You are all so amazing. :) And so I don't get in trouble: I don't own anything you recognize.**_


	23. Another Piece in the Puzzle

Another Piece in the Puzzle

"Hermimine? Will you plays quidditch with me? Drwaco is gone, but he promised we woulds finish our game," Teddy pouted the next morning over his breakfast cereal.

"Teddy, I'm not very good at quidditch," Hermione replied, stirring her own cereal lazily.

"Will you color with me then? Gramma broughts my crayons," Teddy asked, looking at her hopefully.

Hermione nodded with a smile. "Alright. I'll color with you if you finish your cereal."

Teddy grinned, wolfing down the rest of his breakfast and rushing out of the dining room; his small feet softly hitting the floor as he ran up the stairs. Hermione smiled to herself, finishing the last bit of her cereal while she waited for Teddy to return. And return he did, a few moments later; hauling his bag into the kitchen, a wide smile on his young face.

"I gots my bag and I finished breakfast," he proclaimed. "Can we color know?"

Hermione nodded, watching the young wizard reach into his bag and withdraw a large plastic box full of colored crayons, markers and pencils, quickly followed but cut sheets of parchment. "I broughts everything we need to color," Teddy announced, pulling himself back onto his chair.

"What are you going to color?" Hermione asked, accepting the parchment and utensils that Teddy handed to her.

"I am coloring a dragon. Like the ones uncle Charlie talks about," Teddy answered, already scribbling on the parchment. "What about you Hermimine?"

"I'm coloring some flowers right now," Hermione answered, looking over at the young boy.

"What color flowers?" Teddy asked thoughtfully. "Are they blue? Like my hair?"

"Some of them can be blue," Hermione answered. "What colors should the other ones be?"

"Maybe green, and pink, and yellow, and orange, and purple," Teddy replied, his hair changing shades with each color he listed.

"Alrighty then," Hermione laughed. "I'm going to have a very colorful garden aren't I?"

"Yup," Teddy agreed, his eyes glued on his parchment. "Can we listen to music?"

Hermione laughed, but complied to the boy's wishes; accepting his small portable radio to turn on some music for the pair of them. They continued coloring for a short while, when Hermione heard the fireplace chime and then roar to life.

"Hermione?" The visitor called, their voice slightly muffled from the distance.

"I'm in the kitchen," she called back, putting her crayons down.

"Good to know," Bill said, walking in. "However, what if I'd been someone….not so friendly?"

"Draco has extensive wards," she replied. "I knew it was someone who wouldn't hurt me."

"Fair enough," Bill said, turning slightly as Victoire ran in the room behind him.

"Teddy! Hermione!" She beamed. "Daddy can Teddy and I go play?"

Bill smiled, looking over to Hermione who nodded in confirmation. "Sure. Don't go too far though."

"We won't," she promised, rushing out of the room with Teddy close on her heels; his picture forgotten.

"Sorry about that. Dominique is giving Fleur a bit of a hard time. She's not as easy of a baby as Vic was. I figured I should bring her so she wouldn't bug her mum," Bill said, taking a seat at the large table.

"No it's wonderful that you brought her," Hermione reassured him. "It's better for Teddy to spend time with someone his own age anyways."

Bill nodded, his gaze thoughtful. "How are you doing Hermione? You seem much better."

"I am," she replied honestly. "I'm doing much better."

"Good," Bill smiled. "So you and the young Mr Malfoy hm?"

Hermione blushed slightly, folding her hands in her lap. "Yes. It seems strange doesn't it?"

Bill shrugged. "Not really. When Ginny told me I really wasn't that surprised. It's been pretty obvious for quite some time."

Hermione smiled. "What can I do for you Bill? I'm assuming you didn't come all the way over here to talk about my love life."

"No I did not," Bill laughed. "I came to talk to you about something. But first," he reached into his pocket and withdrew a wand, placing it on the table in front of Hermione. "I thought you might like to have this back."

"My wand!" Hermione exclaimed, grabbing the thin stick. "Where did you find this? I thought it was gone for good….Draco was going to take me to get a new one."

"Gringotts sent some of the Curse Breakers over to your neighborhood-or what was left- after your incident with the Death Eaters to make sure there weren't any lingering curses left over. I happened to find your wand buried pretty deep under the rubble. I kept it for a bit to make sure it was safe," Bill told her.

"Thank you Bill," Hermione said appreciatively. "Now what was the other thing you wanted to talk to me about?"

Bill cleared his throat; his foot tapping lightly against the floor. "Hermione….do you remember those papers you asked me about? The ones on the pureblood families?"

Hermione nodded, her brow furrowing slightly. "That was forever ago…."

"I know. I'm sorry about the wait time, but things have been extremely...tense around the Ministry since the public announcement that Bellatrix was back and that affects Gringotts. Records have been hard to get to, but I got a hold of some of the ones you wanted to look at," Bill replied, pulling a few rolls of parchments and placing them on the table. "I thought it might have been something you wanted to see."

Hermione reached for one of the scrolls; unrolling it and scanning the small precise writings. "Bill what does this mean?"

"Well from what I understand from looking at the statement records and talking to my accomplice, there was something...up with the records," Bill responded. "They look completely normal until right before they end. Look," he said, pointing to the bottom of the scroll she was looking at. "This is the records from the Flint family. They were killed a few months after your accident. See anything strange?"

"No," Hermione said, confused. "They look fine to me. I mean, there's a transaction right before their deaths, but that's not odd. People take money out of Gringotts all the time."

"Yes, but the withdrawal is extremely large. Almost 500 Galleons. No one needs to take that much out at one time," Bill said.

"Unless they were funding something….or being bribed," Hermione said quietly, staring at the parchment.

"Exactly," Bill said, his tone somber. "That's how all the other records of the deceased families look. They're completely normal until a few days before their deaths, when large amounts of money are removed."

"So the Death Eaters _are_ bribing pureblood families for money," Hermione said, almost to herself. "What are they doing with all of this money?"

"I don't know," Bill replied. "But I don't think they're bribing them the way we think they are."

"What are they doing then?" Hermione asked.

"I don't have the answers to that. My associate does," Bill answered. "He won't tell me; says I'm not….quite trustworthy."

"Okay, so who will he tell?" Hermione said, her eyes flashing with determination.

"I don't know, but I have a feeling that he will tell your young fiance," Bill said, his eyes slightly dark.

Hermione paused, hesitation showing on her delicate features. "Bill. Who is your associate? And why do you think that he will only talk to Draco?"

Bill sighed, his brow furrowing...but he remained silent.

"Bill." Hermione repeated firmly. "Who is it?"

"Adrian. Adrian Pucey."

...

...

...

Draco grasped the silver door knocker, thumping it firmly against the dark oak door. After only waiting for a few moments the door swung open and Draco's gaze hardened slightly at the person on the other side.

"Malfoy. Long time no see," Adrian said simply, leaning against the doorframe.

"Aren't you going to invite me in? Or did you forget everything you ever learned about courtesy?" Draco replied snippily, staring at the older Slytherin.

"Oh I didn't forget Malfoy," Adrian replied, cocking one eyebrow at the blond. "I just don't know about letting you in. Isn't it some old superstition that evil can't enter your home unless you invite it?"

"You'd have to be truly stupid to believe that Pucey."

"I guess we'll have to see if the superstition is true then," Adrian said, cracking the door open wider to allow Draco entrance.

The blond nodded simply, walking past his former classmate and into his home. "So... I hear you have information for me."

"And you trust the source that told you this?" Adrian said, shutting the door behind him.

"No," Draco replied simply. "But someone I do trust does, and that's good enough for me."

"You mean Granger," Adrian smirked, beckoning him further into his house. "Funny how that turned out for the pair of you."

"Watch it Pucey," Draco warned.

"I'm not judging Malfoy," Adrian said. "You seem to have turned out alright. No offense, but I thought you'd stick to what you had going on at Hogwarts and land yourself in Azkaban."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Draco said drily.

"Sure," Adrian smirked. "Although, I don't quite know if it worked, seeing as you ended up there for a time anyways."

"How do you know about that?" Draco questioned, his tone rather harsh.

"Word gets around," Adrian shrugged, walking over to a small cupboard and removing a couple of glasses.

"The Ministry didn't release those details to the public," Draco countered, his grey eyes cold. "They kept it strictly confidential."

"Oh I didn't say that I heard about it through the Ministry," Adrian replied. "Care for a drink?"

"No. I'd rather stay sober through this conversation," Draco said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You've gotten soft Malfoy," Adrian commented, glancing at the younger Slytherin. "I never would have guessed that would happen to you."

"I'm not having this conversation with you now Pucey," Draco growled. "What's the information you have?"

"Patience Malfoy," Adrian chided. "I see you haven't changed in that sense."

"I'd rather not spend my whole day with you, so I'd like to get this over with," Draco replied tersely.

"Right. You'd rather spend it with Granger no doubt," Adrian smirked, pouring himself a glass of wine.

"I already warned you about that Pucey," Draco snapped. "Knock it off."

"I'm not doing anything wrong," Adrian shrugged, taking a small sip of his drink. "I'm just stating the facts."

He jumped slightly as his glass shattered; splattering dark red liquid onto his floor and dress shirt.

"Continue and your glass won't be the only thing I break," Draco said darkly, his eyes flashing as he watched the older boy.

"Noted," Adrian sighed, picking up shards of glass from the countertop. "You owe me a dry cleaning Malfoy."

"Use your wand Pucey. You aren't a squib," Draco said sharply.

"Thank you for stating the obvious," Adrian glowered, pulling his wand out of his pocket and cleaning up the mess in an instant. "What do you want to know?"

"I want to know what you told William Weasley about the people the Death Eaters have been targeting," Draco replied, holding the other man's gaze.

"William Weasley? You mean that old man that cornered Terence and I at the bank? He only knows that much because he wouldn't let us go until we told him what we knew," Adrian laughed darkly. "He's the one who told you to come talk to me?"

Draco nodded. "He said you would be able to give us information that would help."

"Like I'd tell you. No one ever knows what side you're on Malfoy," Adrian said, his sarcastic tone gone.

"I'd think it would be pretty obvious by now," Draco retorted. "Although I'm starting to doubt which one you are on."

"I guess you'll never know," Adrian said smugly.

"What are you doing with Terence Higgs?" Draco questioned. "You never were much of a social butterfly."

"Terence never had a big part in the war. Neither did I. After everything was said and done, things became more complicated. We formed some sort of truce with one another," Adrian shrugged. "What does it matter to you anyways?"

"It _doesn't_ particularly matter," Draco responded. "What I want to know, is why you stuck to yourself. Why didn't you contact someone like Blaise or Theodore?"

"I never liked Blaise," Adrian sneered, a tinge of disgust showing through. "And Theodore was very opinionated about blood premacy and had an active part in the war."

"So did I, yet here you are talking-albeit somewhat unwillingly- with me," Draco pointed out.

"You're different," Adrian said harshly. "First off, you came to me. Second...you're not the same as you were at Hogwarts. You were welcomed back into society after what you'd done with the Death Eaters. It was easy for you."

"It was hardly easy and I wasn't welcomed back. It was damn hard to get to where I am now," Draco hissed.

Adrian didn't flinch away from him, just met his gaze with a fire of his own. "Really? Don't you just love the irony of _you_ working for the _Ministry_? All it takes is one look at you to see that you don't believe in blood supremacies anymore."

"I finally grew up and got my life straightened out along with my priorities," Draco retorted sharply.

"Please Malfoy. The Ministry handed you the opportunity to change," Adrian spat. "The rest of us weren't so lucky."

"So that's what this is? You're jealous of some privilege that you've dreamed up that you think _I_ have?" Draco laughed humorlessly. "I hate to break it to you, but my life hasn't been any easier than yours."

"Speak for yourself Malfoy," Adrian said darkly, crossing his arms over his chest. "Now. About that information you wanted…"

"Spit it out," Draco demanded. "I don't want to have to ask you again."

"Then don't," Adrian said, crossing the room to pull a stack of parchments from a desk drawer in the corner. "Do you want these Malfoy?"

"No," Draco said calmly. "Hermione already saw them. I want to know what's so important about them. Why it matters."

Adrian pursed his lips slightly, putting the scrolls back into the drawer. "Bellatrix isn't trying to bribe them."

"Then why do they pull so much money from their accounts right before she kills them?" Draco fired back. "That seems like bribing to me."

"Think Malfoy. You were a Death Eater once," Adrian hissed. "Who were the people who kept the program funded? Who did they take money from?"

Draco paused, thinking for a moment. "The weak ones," he answered stiffly. "The families who would pay up and not spread the word around."

"Exactly," Adrian said, an odd sort of smile on his face. "The weak ones. Do you really think Bellatrix is someone who accepts the weak?"

"No. That's why she's just making them pay her," Draco replied. "She's not trying to recruit them."

"Yes she is," Adrian responded. "She's weeding out the weak ones Malfoy."

"So she kills them once they give in," Draco said, realization dawning.

"Bellatrix pushes them; waiting to see if they'll crack," Adrian agreed. "She threatens their families, their jobs, their lives...everything. Once they agree to pay her….she kills them."

"So the Greengrass family, the Flints… they all gave in," Draco said, his shoulders slumping slightly.

"Yeah," Adrian sighed. "It's not going to stop either."

"Pucey," Draco said suddenly. "How did you figure this out? Everyone who would have known about it is dead."

The tall Slytherin ran his hands raggedly through his raven black hair, sighing heavily. "She started on me a week ago. I told Terence about it and he went and passed it on to that Weasley. That's when he got the information he has. Before that it was all just guesses."

"Pucey why the hell didn't you tell someone about this sooner?" Draco questioned, anger seeping into his words.

"Malfoy do you think I care that Bellatrix is doing this to me? Because if you do, then you really couldn't have been that good of a Death Eater," Adrian laughed coldly.

"I was young, and I was stupid," Draco growled. "I'm pretty sure no one thought I could make it as a Death Eater….even my own father."

"Well it's a good thing you didn't turn out like him isn't it?" Adrian spat. "Now you have a better life, and you're probably going to do something great like save the world or some other crap like that."

"Pucey why aren't you worried about this?" Draco questioned. "Bellatrix will kill you whether you give in or not."

"You don't think I know that?" Adrian scoffed. "I don't really give a damn if Bellatrix kills me or not. I don't have anything left for me here. My family was killed in the Battle of Hogwarts for their stupid decision to become Death Eaters, along with the girl I loved because surprise surprise..she was a Death Eater too and got thrown in Azkaban for what she did. _She_ lied to me… my _parents_ lied to me. About the Death Eaters, about their involvement... _everything_. Well that ended when some kind soul put them out of their misery, and her life was destroyed after a Dementor stole her last kiss. At this point there's nothing left for Bellatrix to threaten me with besides my life, and if we're being honest that's not much of a threat either." By the end of his rant, Adrian was fuming, his normally calm features twisted with rage and disgust.

Draco stood in shocked silence, stunned by his former classmate's outburst. Adrian didn't continue, just remained silent; his chest heaving slightly. He took a few deep breaths, reigning his anger back in until he appeared just as he had before; calm, collected and cunning.

"Sorry about that," he finally said, his voice even and controlled. "I um… that was uncalled for. I don't usually let go like that….anger and swearing and all."

Draco remained quiet, still watching his classmate with caution; waiting for another outburst.

"Look, Malfoy. I promise I would have told Weasley sooner if I would have known. I had him come over as soon as I figured it out," Adrian said, leaning back heavily against the wall.

"Why _did_ you go to him?" Draco asked, choosing his words carefully.

"I figured...If I'm gonna go down, I may as well try and take her out with me," Adrian replied; a grim smile gracing his pale features.

Draco returned the half smile. "You know, I never did think you really fit the Slytherin description. You were always a little different."

"Oh I fit in just fine," Adrian laughed. "I may not have been a lying cheater like the rest of you, but I certainly knew how to get what I wanted from people."

"Anyone can do that," Draco pointed out with a smirk.

"True. But it's a Slytherin that will take advantage of that knowledge," Adrian said with a sigh. "I hope that helped Malfoy. I've never been fond of….wizards and witches who aren't pureblood. I guess that's just the way we were raised right? But even though I may not like them, I like Bellatrix and the Death Eaters even less. I don't want to live in a world ruled by them."

Draco nodded. "We're trying to avoid a world like that. Hopefully we will be successful."

Adrian looked at him, his expression darkened. "Don't get your hopes up Malfoy."

Draco sighed, running his fingers through his pale blond hair; a small smile on his face. "Unfortunately, hanging around with Gryffindors tends to give one an unhealthy sense of optimism."

 ** _A/N: Okay here we are. Another chapter down! I hope you liked this one...I had a pretty specific picture in my head, but I'm not sure if it came across that way. Anyways, there is a smidgen of language...so I'm sorry about that, but ya know. That's why it's rated what it is._**

 ** _As always, a big thanks to those of you who have stayed with this story since the beginning, and to those of you who are new readers: Welcome! Please continue to read and review and tell me what you think or any advice/suggestions you might have. Y'all are the best! :)_**


	24. TimeAll We Need Is Time

Time…All We Need is Time

Ron bent over, picking up a small burnt piece of parchment that littered the ground. "This place is a mess," he groaned, running his hands through his fiery red hair. "We're not going to find anything. We've been here for months Harry."

The other man sighed, his brow deeply furrowed. "I know there's something here. You saw the note Bellatrix left."

"Harry did you ever think that maybe Bellatrix left that note so that she could get us away from everyone else? So that she could do something back in London without us in the way since we're here gallivanting around in South America?" Ron asked.

"Somebody would have contacted us by now if there was something wrong back home Ronnie," Fred commented, walking around the corner with George in tow. "Hermione's a smart witch. She'd let us know."

"Are you ever going to stop calling me that?" Ron grumbled, shooting the twins a sharp look.

"Nope," the responded in unison. "It fun to watch you react," George added.

Ron sighed, turning back towards Harry. "What are we trying to find anyways?"

"I don't know," the bespectacled man replied. "It's about as informational as when we went to Hogwarts looking for Rowena's diadem. There's nothing to go off of, but I know it's got to be important otherwise she wouldn't have left the note."

"I guess we've gotta keep looking then," Ron said with a smile, opening one of the mangled cupboards.

"I have an odd feeling that we're going to be here for a while," Fred commented, shooting George a look.

"This would be a prime time for a map like the one the Marauder's left for us to show up," George agreed. "Except this one would need to find objects...or things we don't know what they are."

"Funny," Ron commented, shifting through the partially burned stacks of paper. "I don't think one of those exists. And the map only shows the grounds of Hogwarts."

"It was just a thought," Fred said as George did an imitation of Ron behind his back.

"Life is always more fun when the Weasley's are around," Harry laughed, pulling out his wand to unlock a large box.

…

"Godric this is uncomfortable," Hermione ground out through gritted teeth, as she started to fall; gripping tightly to Draco's shoulders. "I don't know how babies do this."

"They aren't trying to recover from paralysis," he replied, steadying her apparent fall.

"True," Hermione said, panting slightly as her slow, stiff movements resumed. "Sorry. I didn't mean to grab your shoulder so roughly."

"Hermione, I'd rather have a mark on my arm than have you with a cracked skull," Draco responded. "Besides, if you haven't noticed you're doing much better. You don't fall nearly as much and you can almost stand completely on your own. That's quite the improvement for only a few months."

Hermione stopped, her hand on her back as she blew steady breaths out through her mouth. "It is quite an improvement isn't it?"

Draco nodded. "Do you want to call it quits for the day? You've been at it for almost two hours."

Hermione's sighed. "It would be nice to sit down for a while. But I'm going to do it again later today."

"Hermione, I admire your determination, but if you hurt yourself…."

"Draco," Hermione stopped him, pressing her lips lightly to his. "We've set the date for our wedding in four months. I'm _going_ to walk again by then; no matter how many hours a day I have to do this."

"I know. I'm just worried about you," he said softly. "Do you want to try and walk over to the couch?"

She nodded her determination showing on her face as they slowly moved towards the sofa. Finally reaching it, Hermione gradually lowered herself onto the plush grey cushions, releasing a quick sigh. "I think...this couch is going to be my new best friend."

Draco laughed, rubbing the back of his neck self-consciously. "I think you and that couch have already formed quite the relationship."

Hermione shrugged happily, running her hands through her unruly curls. "We're quite content to be together. In fact, I think this couch might replace you soon."

"I guess I'd have to sell it then. I couldn't let some couch replace me," Draco smirked, throwing an arm over the back of the couch.

"A couch could never replace you," Hermione smiled, leaning against his chest. "No matter how much I love it."

"I would sure hope not," Draco said, kissing the top of her head.

Hermione smiled, tracing lazy patterns onto his leg. "I have a proposition for you."

"What's your proposition?"

"In two weeks, if I can get up from the couch on my own and not fall over, you owe me a dinner date," Hermione said, tilting her head to catch his gaze.

"Two weeks hm? That's awfully quick," Draco mused. "You really think you can do that?"

Hermione nodded, her curls bouncing lightly around her head. "I have to set little points along the path to success. And what better way to motivate me than rewards at each checkpoint?" She paused, a pensive look on her face. "How about as an extra push we add something else to the jackpot?"

Draco shrugged, an easy smile back on his features. "Why not?"

Hermione smirked, her eyes sparkling. "If I can do it, you not only have to take me out to dinner, you have to wear red for a whole week."

"Red? As in the color Gryffindor's wear?" Draco questioned, his distaste bleeding into his words. "Can't it be some other dreadful color?"

"Well I could make it yellow. So the Hufflepuff color...or gold. That could be interesting," Hermione offered.

"Oh Merlin, please no," he groaned. "I would never be able to live that down."

"Red and dinner it is then," Hermione laughed. "If I'm going to win this thing, I'd better get back to practicing."

…

"I've got to stop making deals with you," Draco sighed, doing the last few buttons on his shirt. "I look bloody awful in red."

"Oh relax," Hermione laughed, slipping her feet into a small pair of flats. "It's not even Gryffindor red. It's more like…. Wine red. And contrary to your statement, it looks astonishingly good on you."

"Did you just call me attractive?" Draco smirked, slipping a charcoal black vest on over the shirt.

"No," she teased. "I just said that color looks good on you."

"I'm still going to disagree," he sighed, rolling the sleeves of his shirt up over his wrists. "I hate red."

"You're in denial," Hermione pointed out.

"I'm not in denial," He argued. "I just don't normally wear anything besides grayscale colors...and sometimes dark green."

Hermione sighed, fighting with the zipper on the back of her dress. "Well it's only for a week."

"I know. I just enjoy complaining about it," Draco admitted, walking over to stand behind the curly haired witch.

"You're a bugger," Hermione smirked, letting her hands fall to her sides.

"I know," he laughed softly, fastening the back of her dress. "But you love it."

Hermione smiled, turning to kiss him lightly on the lips. "No...I love you."

"Good thing too. Or this dinner date would never work," he joked, offering her his hand.

"So, should we hit up a fancy muggle restaurant?" Hermione asked, accepting his proffered hand.

"Oh no," Draco replied. "That was not part of our deal, so no weird muggle restaurant. We're going somewhere strictly magical."

…

"This is definitely somewhere magical," Hermione admitted, glancing at the magnificent scenery. "I don't think muggle restaurants have enchanted ceilings yet."

"No they do not," Draco responded, glancing at the ceiling. "I'm afraid enchanted ceilings are something only wizards have."

Hermione nodded, taking a sip of her wine. "Well not only is it magical, the food happened to be quite amazing."

"Told you I knew a place," Draco smirked holding his own glass lightly in his hand. "Also, my shirt is not anywhere near the color of your wine. I'm wearing bloody Gryffindor red."

"That was the deal," Hermione laughed. "I won, so you have to wear red for a week. No backing out now."

Draco sighed, emptying the last of the firewhiskey from his glass. "I was afraid of that."

"You're the one who agreed to it," Hermione smirked, slowly standing up. "I didn't make you."

"I think you did," Draco commented, also standing. "The sorting hat may have put you in Gryffindor, but you possess more qualities of a Slytherin than you know."

"Did you just compare me to a Slytherin?" Hermione questioned, fastening her cloak over her shoulders. "I hate to break it to you, but I'm pretty sure I'm as Gryffindor-esque as they come."

"One can possess qualities from more than one house my dear," he pointed out as she looped her arm through his.

"I suppose you're right," Hermione smiled, as they slowly walked from the restaurant into the busy streets of Diagon Alley. "Harry always thought that I should have been sorted into Ravenclaw."

"You and Potter seem awfully close," Draco commented, as they strolled languidly along the lamp lit pathways. "Closer than friends normally are."

"You, Blaise and Pansy are close," Hermione pointed out.

"Pansy and I grew up together," Draco responded. "Our parents often hosted extravagant parties for their pureblood acquaintances, and such events were not exciting for us as children. So we would go off in hidden parts of whatever estate we happened to be at and create our own games to pass the time. Pansy and I...were often the only children at the party, since many other pureblood kids our age had older siblings to watch them while their parents came to the parties. Since we were the only children in our families, our parents brought us along so they could 'keep an eye on us'. They didn't, so it wasn't hard for us to escape and actually play around as most normal children would."

"Why are you and Blaise so close then?" Hermione questioned as they took a seat on an outdoor bench.

"After I starting becoming more….attracted to the dark arts, Pansy wasn't quite as inclined to spend as much time around me," Draco said hesitantly. "So I turned to someone who I had known equally as long, but who I was not as close to. Blaise and his family were as equally tangled in the whole Death Eater mess as mine. He knew what I was going through as I knew what was going on with him. We could relate to one another...help each other through everything. We became rather close, and Pansy even stuck around and got to know him."

"I guess it would be hard to find friends when you're somewhat….isolated," Hermione admitted, lacing her fingers through his.

"Somewhat," Draco replied. "However, you still haven't told me why you and Potter are so close."

"I think it's something similar to your relationship with Pansy," Hermione answered. "Harry and I...we were both thrown into the magical world without a clue as to what was going on, or what we were supposed to do. Neither of us had ever heard anything about magic or Hogwarts, so we just sort of...relied on each other I guess." She paused, thinking for a moment. "We were both misfits in a way too. Harry was infamous or famous depending on how you looked at it… and well, I was….I _am_ muggle-born, and that set me apart. Harry is like the brother I never had. He's my best friend, and we've just always been there for each other. I couldn't imagine life without him."

"I guess I can't argue with that logic," Draco admitted, running his thumb lightly over her knuckles.

"Draco… Harry and Ron will always be my dearest friends; practically family, just as Pansy and Blaise are to you. Even though they mean the world to me; you _are_ my world, and don't you _ever_ forget it," she said quietly, gently placing her hand on his cheek.

"I don't think it's possible to forget something like this," Draco whispered, his breath ghosting over her lips. "Even if someone were to obliviate my memory, I don't think I could ever forget you."

…

Ron paused, a glint of something buried in the dirt catching his eye. Bending down he scraped away the coarse soil, revealing what was hidden underneath. "Bloody….Harry!" he called, pulling the object out of the earth. "Mate, you might want to come see this."

Harry rounded the corner, his cloak billowing out behind him. "What? Did you find something?"

"Well...yes," Ron answered, looking at the object in his hand. "I don't quite know if it's what you're looking for though."

"What is it?" Harry questioned, coming up beside the redhead.

"A time-turner," Ron answered, showing Harry the golden necklace. "But it's broken. The sand-filled hourglass is gone."

"She wanted us to find this," Harry murmured. "Bellatrix wanted us to see proof that she has the time turner in her possession. She wants us to see the power she has."

"But she doesn't have the time-turner," Ron pointed out. "She just has the sand. It won't work without it."

"The sand works without the actual turner Ron," Harry said, holding the battered chain in his hand. "The sand and the hourglass are all you need, and that's what Bellatrix has."

"How in bloody Merlin's name are we going to destroy the time-turner if we don't even know where she's going to take it now that it's smaller and easier to hide?" Ron asked with a sigh.

"I don't know," Harry admitted. "All I know is that we're never going to be able to defeat her while she has that time-turner in her possession."

"Maybe we should ask Hermione," Fred piped in. "She might have an idea. I know she was working on it before we left."

Harry shook his head. "I don't want to bother her...she's most likely in the process of planning her wedding."

"Ugh, don't remind me. I still can't believe she's marrying that snake," Ron groaned, his features revealing a small display of disgust.

"Ron seriously," Harry sighed. "It's her life. If she's happy with Malfoy, then she should be with him. It's not for us to decide. Even if we don't like it."

"Whatever," Ron grumbled. "I agree with Fred though. I think we may need to talk to Hermione."

…

"You know, I think the maroon carnations and white roses will look absolutely divine together," Ginny commented, gathering a handful of flowers together. "It's elegant, but innocent at the same time."

"If you put some ruscus with it, the green will help bring out the maroon and it will highlight the white roses," Pansy said, adding a few vibrant green sprigs to the arrangement.

"And eef you tie if off with a bordeaux ribbon, eet will complete the whole piece," Fleur added, smoothing back a stray strand of Dominique's fiery red hair.

"Bordeaux?" Pansy questioned, her hands hovering over the wide selection of ribbons.

"Maroon," Ginny offered, pointing to the pile of dark colored ribbons.

"Sorry," Pansy apologized. "I know Latin, not French."

"Eet is alright," Fleur laughed. "I sometimes slip back into it."

Pansy nodded. "So maroon, white and green. What do you think about this arrangement Hermione?"

Ginny held up the finished bouquet, turning it so Hermione could see it clearly. The curly haired witch studied the arrangement, her head tilted slightly to the right.

"I do like it," she finally said, biting gently on the edge of her lip.

"But?" Pansy said, placing her hand on her hip. "I can tell there's something bugging you about it."

"Nothing really...bugs me about it," Hermione reassured her. "It's a beautiful arrangement, but the colors just feel a bit...dark."

Fleur nodded, gently rocking her daughter. "You're right. Eet doesn't seem quite...you. What's your favorite color? Maybe we can go off of that."

Hermione smiled, tucking her hair behind her ear. "It's periwinkle."

"Perfect," Fleur smiled. "Why don't we start with Delphinium? I think periwinkle pairs lovely with pastel pink or peach as well."

"Let's try it," Ginny agreed, reaching for a bundle of pink flowers.

"We could try Ranunculus for the pink ones and see how that works," Pansy offered, her brow furrowed slightly. "It's a light enough pink that it might work very nicely."

"I'll tell you what's 'Ranunculus'," Blaise commented, walking into the room, a large pile of flowers in his arms. "I happened to come at just the right time to be a delivery boy. Also, I think I might possibly be allergic to Pansies." He sneezed as he set the flowers down; proving his point.

"That's ironic," Ginny laughed, earning herself a glare from Pansy.

"Stop whining Blaise," Pansy sighed, sorting through the piles of ribbon. "If you don't like the flowers, go complain to Draco."

"I'm headed there now," he replied, rolling his eyes. "At least then I don't have to be constantly sneezing."

Pansy scoffed, though Blaise chose to ignore it; wandering through the halls until he reached the basement, where he found Draco knee deep in scrolls and potion ingredients.

"Are you aware that Gryffindors are flooding your house? And that your ballroom space looks like a Hufflepuff threw up in it?" Blaise sighed, leaning against the wall.

"I'm aware," Draco replied, counting softly under his breath. "You do know that my fiancée is a Gryffindor right? So it would be logical that her friends are."

"Not necessarily," Blaise shrugged. "What are you doing?"

"Counting," Draco muttered, checking something off onto a piece of parchment.

"Why? That seems like an odd waste of time," Blaise commented.

"Because," Draco growled in frustration, tossing the parchment onto a nearby lab table. "I've been robbed."

"That's ridiculous," Blaise replied. "The Manor has extensive wards."

Draco shook his head. "It wasn't the Manor that was robbed. It was the business. We're missing supplies."

"So why are you counting the ones in your personal store?"

"To see if I accidentally left something here," Draco sighed, taking his fingers roughly through his hair. "I catalog _everything_ and there isn't one single ingredient that's over or under from my personal stores, but there's some gone from work."

"What's gone?" Blaise questioned. "Do you know what they could be trying to make?"

"Bicorn horn, Fluxweed and Boomslang skin," Draco replied, rubbing the back of his neck.

"But those are the ingredients for-"

"Polyjuice Potion. I know," Draco sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. "I don't get it though. The stores at work are completely protected. Ward scanners, attack spells...you name it. There's no possible way that someone could have gotten into it."

"Drake, we all know Bellatrix is pretty good at getting what she wants," Blaise pointed out. "She must have figured out a way to break into your stores and take what she needed."

"That's the thing though," Draco responded in irritation. "No one can get in there unless they know the ward protections."

"And who knows the ward protections?"

"Only me and a select few of my employees," Draco said, starting to pace the room in agitation. "And before you ask, yes I trust every single one of them."

"Is there someone who knows that you recently hired? Someone who you maybe don't know as well?" Blaise prompted.

"No. Everyone who knows has been part of the company since it started," Draco snarled, his eyes flashing. "They went through extensive background searches, and none of them were even remotely involved in the war; many of them are recent graduates from Hogwarts...a few are from Beauxbatons."

Blaise sighed, a pensive look on his face. "Why would Bellatrix need Polyjuice Potion? Everyone knows she's back; she doesn't need to hide from anyone."

"She doesn't want whatever she's doing to be pinned on her. Bellatrix wants to take someone out of the game," Draco muttered; his fingers tapping agitatedly against the counter-top. "Probably for good."

"So she wants to get rid of someone who she sees as a threat? Without killing said person? That doesn't sound a whole lot like Bellatrix to me," Blaise commented, twirling his wand lightly in his fingers.

"Exactly. She doesn't want people to think it's her," Draco snapped.

"Well I guess we'd better start poking some holes into that then," Blaise sighed. "All of a sudden I wish I was helping with wedding plans instead."

"You say that, but once you start it's one great big slippery slope that leads into a pit of colors and ribbons and all kinds of other things that you really can't understand," Draco said, a small smile stealing it's way onto his features.

"I expect I'll be going through it soon enough believe it or not," Blaise sighed good-naturedly.

"Seriously?" Draco responded in surprise. "Pansy actually wants to get married?"

"Eventually yes," Blaise replied. "Normally I would say no, but recent circumstances may have changed her mind."

"Recent circumstances?" Draco questioned.

"She's pregnant," Blaise answered.

The blond arched a pale eyebrow in his companion's direction, surprise etched into his stoic features. "You and Pansy? Pregnant."

"Well if we're being technical, it's just Pansy. But yes. We're expecting a child," Blaise replied.

"Congratulations then," Draco said, picking up a few stray scrolls that had fallen to the floor. "Although I have to admit, I never would have guessed you would actually settle down and start a family."

"Me neither," Blaise laughed.

"Do you know your future child's gender yet? Or is it a bit too early for that?" Draco questioned, putting all the scrolls into a cabinet.

"It is a bit early, but Pansy is absolutely sure it's a boy," Blaise answered simply.

Draco shook his head, the small smile still on his face. "Good luck Blaise. If he's anything like you, you're in for an interesting few years."

…

Hermione sighed, flipping through the many stacks of letters and papers from the evening owl post as she lounged on the couch. Most of them she put to the side, but the Daily Prophet caught her eye. Pulling it out of the stack she scanned the front page, a small laugh escaping as she looked.

"What's so hilarious in the Prophet this time?" Draco questioned from beside her, staring at his empty glass.

"Just Rita Skeeter. Merlin that woman irks me," Hermione replied, flipping through the paper.

"If she irks you, why do you find her writing funny?"

"Because it's just so ridiculous," Hermione laughed. "Look. We're on the front page," she said, passing the paper to him.

"Wonderful," he responded sarcastically. "What messed up life story has Skeeter created for us now?"

"If we're being honest, the story this time isn't too far from the truth," Hermione admitted. "It's just twisted."

Draco frowned, turning his attentions to the headline of the paper. _"War Heroine Hermione Granger losing her brilliant mind? Fully exposed engagement to Ex-Death Eater Draco Malfoy is exposed."_ Below the writing were pictures from the previous day in Diagon Alley; the pair eating, walking around, and one final picture of a privately shared kiss. He blew out a steady stream of air, tossing the article onto the coffee table. "I'm sure that will make wizarding London buzz for quite some time."

"Draco….people still think..you're a bad person," Hermione replied. "Doesn't that worry you?"

"Yes...and No," he sighed. "I was never a _good_ person Hermione. You have to know that. I'm still not. I may be better than I was, but I'm still nowhere near the textbook definition of good. My family and I...have done a lot of awful things, and I wouldn't expect people to forget it so quickly."

Hermione didn't seem pleased with the answer, but she didn't push it any farther. "Draco what's wrong? You seem...agitated."

He shook his head, a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "It's nothing 'Mione. Don't worry about it."

"Draco, you know you can always talk to me right?" she asked softly, leaning lightly against his chest.

"I know," he replied, burying his face in her hair.

"Promise you'd tell me if it was serious?" she whispered.

"I promise."

 _ **A/N: Okay...so. Um this chapter. It took me a while to write it and edit it and all that, but I'm still not quite sure it came out the way I wanted it to. I wanted to get a lot across with this chapter, and I may or may not have put too much in and/or rushed it. So, that's cool. But nonetheless, I do hope you like it and that you will all continue to read and review! As always, I don't own anything that you recognize.**_


	25. How Things Change

How Things Change

"M'Lady, I don't mean to protest but I'm not a fan of pointless mass murder."

Bellatrix turned slowly arching a dark eyebrow at her brother-in-law, who suddenly gasped and clutched at his chest, his face twisted in agony.

"Really Rabastan," she replied softly, using her long thin fingers to tilt his chin up to face her. "I thought you would have known by this point that I no longer kill without a purpose."

Rabastan cried out sharply, his breath coming out in ragged gasps. "I'm sorry My Lady," he managed to grind out through his teeth. "I wasn't thinking straight."

Bellatrix nodded with fake sympathy, her eyes flashing. "I agree, but you made the horrible decision to speak your disagreements out loud."

Rabastan ground his teeth, letting out a low growl as his pain deepened. "Rodolphus are you just going to let her kill me?"

Rodolphus grimaced at his brother's words, moving slowly to stand behind his wife. "Bella...is this all truly necessary? My brother often speaks without thinking."

"So he needs to learn that words often come with a price," Bellatrix said sharply, turning her cold gaze to her husband. "I'm nowhere near as forgiving as the Dark Lord."

Rodolphus nodded simply, retreating from her side; his eyes straying back to his tortured brother.

"My Lady...please," Rabastan groaned. "I shall never question you again."

Bellatrix stared coldly at him, her face twisting into a sharp sneer. "See that you don't," she replied, releasing her spell.

Rabastan crumpled to the ground, gasping as his body convulsed from the curse.

"Next time you question me, you won't be let off so easily," Bellatrix snarled, turning sharply away from him and toward her husband. "I will not spare your pathetic excuse for a brother again Rodolphus. If either of you fail me the only thing that awaits you is death."

"Understood...My Lady," Rodolphus replied quietly, dipping his head towards his wife, as he moved to help his brother off of the floor. "What would you have us do?"

"Round up some of my best Death Eaters Rodolphus," Bellatrix commanded, spinning on her heel to leave the room, her dress billowing out behind her. "We're taking a trip to Australia."

…

Hermione sobbed, tears running down her face as she clutched the Daily Prophet to her chest; the outraged voices from the next room adding to the chaos. She heard the door bang open and she dropped the paper, rushing to the other room only to be stopped by Harry and Ginny.

"Hermione go back to the other room," Harry said softly, holding tightly to her arm as she struggled to get past him.

"No, I have to get to him," she cried. "I have to know."

"Hermione stop it," Ginny said softly, moving to stand in front of the bushy haired witch. "You don't need to see this and you most certainly don't need to know right now."

"Yes I do," Hermione sobbed, pushing her friend out of the way. "I need to know if it was him Ginny. I need to know."

She moved past the red-head; Harry rushing to stop her as she ran into the next room.

"Granger," Blaise rumbled, pulling Hermione aside and preventing her from going any farther.

"Let go of me," Hermione hissed, her eyes flashing with pain and anger. "I don't trust you."

Blaise's face flashed with pain, but he held onto her; Harry and Ginny standing closely to the side. "Granger talking to him now isn't going to help."

"I don't care," she cried, her head turning as the door to the room opened and Ministry officials and Auror walked through the door; flanking a tall blond wizard who walked with his head down. "Mal-"

Blaise put a firm hand over her mouth, preventing her from calling out to him. "Granger you don't want to do this now. You'll be much more pleased with the results if you're mind isn't clouded when you talk to him."

Hermione screamed against his hand, struggling against his grip to get to Draco. Her struggle continued until the crack of apparation sounded outside the Manor; the fight draining from her body until Blaise released his hold and she collapsed against Harry, her tears quickly wetting the front of his shirt.

"It'll be okay Hermione," Harry whispered, holding her tightly. "We're going to figure this out."

Hermione walked slowly down the hall of the MLE Department at the Ministry, her hands shaking slightly as she knocked on the black door at the end of the corridor. The heavy metal door swung open, the hinges creaking slightly. Hermione took a deep breath and strode through the door, her companion following shortly behind her.

"What can I do for you Miss Granger?" the young wizard at the front desk

"I have a signed letter from the Minister of Magic," Hermione replied, handing him a piece of parchment. "Mr. Zabini and I would like to pay a visit to Azkaban."

The young wizard arched an eyebrow in her direction but stamped the letter nonetheless. He rose from his seat, waving his wand at the door behind him causing it to flash green before opening. "I'm going to need you to leave your wands with me. We don't allow armed witches or wizards into Azkaban."

Hermione and Blaise nodded, requelishing their wands before stepping through the door and apparating promptly to Azkaban. Hermione steadied herself clearing her throat slightly as she turned to Blaise.

"You don't have to come," she said, smoothing the fabric of her skirt.

"I'm coming Granger," Blaise replied simply. "Not just for moral support. No matter the things he may or may not have done, Draco is still my friend and I'd rather not see him ripped to shreds."

"I'm not going to rip him apart," Hermione said sharply. "I just want answers."

"I know," Blaise said softly. "Let's get this over with."

Hermione nodded, turning and striding down the passageway, turning corner after corner and climbing numerous flights of stairs until finally both her and Blaise reached the final door at the end of the hall.

"You sure you want to do this?" Blaise questioned, glancing at the witch.

"Yes," Hermione replied without a pause. "I need to know what happened."

Blaise nodded and looked at one of the the guards outside of the door. The other wizard nodded, waving his wand and unlatching the large door; allowing them entry into the cell.

Blaise walked through first, Hermione following slowly behind him, her resolve wavering as she walked into the room and caught sight of Draco. He stood with his back to the door as he leaned against the wall, not showing any physical signs of hearing the door open.

"You've got company." Another voice spoke from the far side of the cell, rising and stepping out of the shadows.

"Adrian," Blaise growled. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh didn't you hear?" Adrian mocked. "Malfoy and I are cell mates. I guess they figured putting us together would give us the chance to rip each other apart and save them the trouble."

"Well you haven't killed each other yet, so I'd guess that you're fine with the arrangement," Blaise said coldly, feeling Hermione take a step closer to him.

"Zabini there's a reason I never liked you," Adrian scoffed.

"Is is true?" Hermione whispered, her question directed at the blond. "Did you do it?"

"No," he rasped, turning slightly to glance at her. "I was in the country, but I didn't do anything."

Hermione's face twisted slightly in pain, taking a step closer to him. "I...don't believe you."

"Hermione I didn't do it," he repeated.

"Liar," she hissed, sharply bringing her hand to his face. "You were there. Witnesses _saw_ you, yet you have the audacity to lie to me."

"Hermione I-"

"Don't you dare call me that," she spat. "You don't deserve that. You forfeited that right."

Blaise looked at Adrian, neither of them eager to get between the rowing couple.

"Alright," Draco sighed, his shoulder dropping. "Granger, I know you have every right to distrust me, but _I didn't do this_."

"You killed my parents!" Hermione screeched, grabbing his arm and pushing up the left sleeve. "You never changed! Look at this," she demanded, her nails digging into the skin around his forearm. "This just proves that I never should have trusted you to begin with. You're a _Death Eater_ and you always have been. You may have learned how to hold your tongue and provide a remodeled image of yourself so people will accept you, but you will _always_ be a Death Eater."

Draco's breath shook as he looked at his arm; a small trickle of blood from the punctures her nails created running down his arm. "Granger...I may have a darkened past, but I swear on my life that I didn't kill your parents."

"You were there!" Hermione said, her voice breaking. "People saw you and Adrian enter their house, then later a friend went calling at my parents' and found them dead. Not only that, but you helped take down the nearest Australian Ministry."

"Granger wait," Blaise interrupted. "They took down a Ministry? All by themselves?"

"No," she spat, her eyes flaming. "There were Death Eaters already at the Ministry. Malfoy and Adrian rejoined them after slaughtering my parents."

"Drake," Blaise said, comprehension dawning in his eyes. "Those ingredients that went missing from your stores. The ones that are used to make Polyjuice Potion..."

"Polyjuice Potion?" Adrian repeated, uncrossing his arms from over his chest. "You had Polyjuice Potion ingredients go missing and you just happened to leave that little detail out when we were trying to decipher how we were framed?"

"Ms Potter. I didn't know you would be coming."

"Oh I'm meeting a friend here," Ginny replied. "Hermione Granger? She should have checked in already, I was just running behind schedule and I told her I would meet her here."

"Of course," the young wizard said, dipping his head. "Do you have your wand?"

Ginny nodded, reaching into the pocket of her cloak, and then frantically checking the other pocket. Sighing, she looked back at the young man. "It seems in my rush to get here, I forgot my wand at home."

"No worries Ms Potter," he replied, waving his wand at the door. "We just collect them if you have them to ensure the….safety of our guests."

Draco averted his grey eyes from Adrian's cold gaze and sighed. "I didn't….intentionally withhold information Pucey."

"Yet you didn't think that that could possibly be how we ended up here?" Adrian snarled. "I may not have long to live Malfoy, but I sure as heck didn't see myself dying in a prison cell."

"I thought Potter had taken care of it," Draco sighed in exasperation. "As usual, placing my trust in the Wonder Boy didn't turn out in my favor."

"You told Harry, but not me?" Hermione said, her voice cutting through the air. "Don't you think that would have been something your fiancée would have liked to know?"

"Hermione, I didn't want to worry you," Draco replied. "I went to Potter because I knew that he has many more ways of finding things and..keeping things under the covers. He said that Weasley and he would take care of it as soon as possible. When I didn't hear from them, I assumed that they had been successful."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Hermione repeated, her voice shaking.

"I didn't think I would ever need to," he answered. "I'm sorry."

"People can be disappointing can't they?"

Hermione turned, her eyes widening in surprise. "Ginny. What are you doing...how did you get in here?"

"I came to be with you," Ginny replied. "I figured you might need a friend...someone who's not Slytherin."

"What's wrong with Slytherin's?" Blaise growled.

"Obviously they can't be trusted," Ginny answered, meeting his eyes. "Two out of the three of you in that cell have committed terrible crimes."

"Ginny," Hermione said slowly. "Why haven't you asked to be let in?"

"Oh I don't need to be let in," Ginny laughed. "Also the guards are taking a nice little snooze. They owe me one."

"Bellatrix," Draco said darkly. "How'd you get in?"

"It's not Bellatrix," Blaise said. "It's Potter's wife."

"No," Hermione whispered. "It's not...it just looks like her."

"Quite right. The glamour charm took me quite a while to perfect," Ginny said, the disguise dropping to reveal Bellatrix. "Told you Slytherin's couldn't be trusted."

"What are you doing here?" Draco demanded, his grey eyes flashing.

"I came to thank you for the Polyjuice ingredients," Bellatrix replied as if it were obvious. "They were the last few that I needed, and thankfully, you had some."

"How did you get into my stores?" he hissed.

"I didn't," she laughed, tossing her raven black hair over her shoulder. "So really, I suppose I should be thanking your assistant."

"Arthur?" Blaise said, surprise lacing his tone.

"Yes," Bellatrix mused. "It really was quite easy to convince him to help me."

"What did you do to him?" Draco snapped.

"Me? Oh I didn't do anything to him. I can't say the same for the Death Eaters though. He served his purpose quite well, unfortunately after I had him steal from your stores, I didn't have a use for him," Bellatrix said with a wave of her hand. "Too bad to, considering he did all of that to save his wife and unborn child."

"You killed his wife?" Draco breathed. "She didn't even know."

"That's the point," Bellatrix laughed. "I couldn't let him tell her what I'd made him do. He knew too much. So I simplified the solution and got rid of them all."

"You are vile Bellatrix," Adrian spat. "Killing people who defied you wasn't satisfying anymore? You just had to go after innocents?"

"No one is innocent Mister Pucey," Bellatrix purred. "I'm sure I didn't really need to tell you that."

Adrian paled slightly, his eyes flashing as he clenched his jaw to keep from retorting.

"Why are you here Bellatrix?" Blaise growled, noticing how Hermione took a step back towards Draco unconsciously. "I wouldn't think this would be the safest place for you to be."

"On the contrary, I find this to be a rather good place for what I plan to do," Bellatrix replied.

"Haven't you already done what you wanted to do? You got your nephew and I thrown in jail," Adrian said darkly.

"You're right Adrian," Bellatrix said, her gaze hardening. "But I'm not finished yet."

Adrian opened his mouth to respond, but stopped; hissing in pain. Bellatrix smiled cruelly and Adrian released a sharp yelp of pain, clutching his chest.

"What are you doing to him?" Hermione cried, moving towards the dark haired wizard.

Bellatrix laughed as Adrian cried out in pain; doubling over as he clutched his chest. "What he deserves."

Adrian gasped, and his breath shook as he struggled against whatever curse Bellatrix was using on him. "I'll see you in hell Bellatrix," he rasped.

"I don't plan on dying anytime soon Adrian," Bellatrix whispered, clenching her fist as he crumpled to the ground. "Say hello to your parents for me."

"Adrian," Hermione gasped, bending down next to him on the cold floor as Bellatrix disappeared in a whirlwind of black smoke.

"He's dead Granger," Blaise said, running his hands raggedly through his hair. "Probably was before he hit the ground."

"What did she do to him?" Hermione fumed, turning her anger toward her fiancé.

"I don't know Herm-...Granger," Draco sighed. "I don't exactly stay updated on what my aunt is doing with her time."

"Blaise…" Hermione said, turning away from the blond wizard. "Go and alert the main desk. They need to know that Adrian is dead and Bellatrix was here."

"Granger-"

"Just do it," she repeated firmly, her eyes flashing.

Blaise nodded and left the room; closing the heavy metal door behind him.

"Did you ever truly think it was me?" Draco questioned, his tone heavy.

"I don't know," Hermione answered, tears stinging the corners of her eyes. "The problem is that I shouldn't have carried a single shred of doubt that it couldn't have been you. But I did. There was _so_ much doubt in my mind when I read that paper…"

"Did you really think I am capable of doing something like that? I couldn't even kill Dumbledore when my life depended on it," he argued quietly.

"I know that...and because you lied to me, there were only a few things I knew for sure when I looked at that paper. I knew that you'd been to see Adrian. I knew that something had seemed off about you since that visit, and I knew that you were keeping something from me. What I _didn't_ know is that you'd only been to Australia for a business trip, that you didn't know about what Bellatrix was doing," Hermione said rigidly, her voice shaking with every word.

"Hermione-"

"Don't," she stopped him, shaking her head and taking a step backward. "I know now it wasn't you...but I should have known that from the first word I read from that article. You broke my trust Malfoy...and I'm not sure if you will be able to earn it back."

"Aren't you the one who is always preaching about second chances?"

A single tear betrayed her, and made it's way down the curve of her cheek. "This was your second chance. Your first chance was after Bellatrix first went to the Manor, and you...kicked me out. I chose to come back and give you..give _us_ a second shot after I learned the truth," Hermione whispered. "A part of me wants to forgive you...to give you another chance. But the other part of me is saying that there aren't chances after seconds ones. That we shouldn't even need second chances. I don't know which side to listen to."

Draco inhaled softly, his breath rattling in his chest as he listened to Hermione talk, but he didn't interrupt; didn't say a single word.

"I'm not going to pick one side to listen to," Hermione continued, clearing her throat softly. "I'm….not going to say that you deserve to be in here. But I'm also not going to fight to get you out."

Draco closed his eyes for a moment; the reality of her words hitting him soundly in the chest.

"I'll go in and speak with the Ministry about this case if they ask me to, and I will answer all of their questions as truthfully as I can, but I will not fight with them to let you out like I did last time. I'm sorry, but...that's how it needs to be right now."

"Don't apologize," he responded, choking over the words. "You never have to apologize to me."

Hermione nodded, another tear trailing down her cheek as she fiddled with the silver diamond encrusted vines twisting around her finger. "What happened to us Draco? We were supposed to be married next month...now you're here, and I'm somewhere else."

Draco remained silent, his silver gaze glinting in the low light.

"I'm not saying that I give up on us," she said quietly, taking a small step back toward him. "I'm just saying we should see where life takes us if we're given the chance to start over."

Draco nodded, his eyes slowly following her as she stopped in front of him. "Always the optimist," he said softly.

Hermione looked up at him, a smile half formed on her lips. She rose slightly on her toes and pressed her lips softly to his for a moment before pulling away. "Goodbye Draco," she whispered before she left the room without another word.

Draco turned away from the door, his eyes pausing on Adrian's crumpled form. He closed his eyes tightly and sat down heavily in the corner; his lips still tingling from Hermione's touch.

 _ **A/N: Yeesh. Another person dead. Although, I was planning on killing Adrian since I put him in the story...so. I didn't quite...know exactly where to go with this chapter. I knew I wanted Bellatrix to frame Draco for something related to Polyjuice Potion, and I knew that there needed to be something done that somehow impacted Hermione and caused everything to be shaken up a bit. So, you have this chapter. I hope you like it, I tried to make it...somewhat realistic and believable. (If some of you are worried, don't be. Everything works out. There's only a few more chapters planned for this fan fic.) As always, thank you for reading, following, and reviewing! Please continue to do so and let me know what you think.**_


	26. The Prophecy

**_A/N: Alright everyone...the time has come. This is the final chapter of 'How the World Changes". I'll write some final thank you's and quick notes/reminders at the bottom of this chapter, but first I wanted to thank a couple of people._** _Easypeezy Lemonsqueezy **you are such a kind soul and my heart was bursting when I read your review! You were so sweet to leave me such a nice, inspiring note and I just wanted to thank you. Also to** 4fanci **who left two reviews since I last logged in, thank you. Your two reviews were so kind and I'm so glad that you are enjoying the story!**_

 _ **One more quick thing, the song I quote in this chapter is "True Colors" by Cyndi Lauper. I thought it fit very nicely with the scene and it's one of my favorite "lovey" type songs. If you want to look it up, the best version I found was by Justin Timberlake from the new TROLLS movie. Now, onto the final chapter.**_

The Prophecy

Hermione sat on the couch, Crookshanks lounging across her legs as she ran her fingers through his fur; his purr rumbling through his small chest. She subconsciously chewed on her lower lip as she thought, trying to reason with herself. The fireplace roared and Hermione moved Crookshanks off of her lap so she could stand, her heart jumping as the other person entered the room.

"Draco," she breathed, her hazel eyes searching his face. "I thought-"

"I was dead?" He finished for her, his grey eyes flashing.

Hermione nodded, running her fingers agitatedly through her curls. "I heard that they'd made a release decision for you based on all the evidence and research they did; but then the paper this morning said that Azkaban had been destroyed later that day….and then there wasn't any word about that happened to you or if you had survived."

"Azkaban _was_ destroyed," Draco confirmed, putting his hands in his pockets. "Along with quite a few people."

"But you're okay?" She questioned hesitantly.

"I'm fine. I spent 24 hours in St Mungo's with some...injuries, but that's it," he replied slowly, staring at the patterns in the floor.

"I'm glad you're alright," Hermione said softly. "I-I was devastated when I thought you were dead...all I could think about was those awful things I said to you and how I accused you of something I knew you would never do…."

"You were hurt..and most likely a little afraid. People lash out in those moments often unintentionally," Draco sighed, raising his silver gaze to hers. "I can't blame you for that."

Hermione shook her head, tears stinging her eyes. "There's no excuse for what I did and how I treated you. No matter how hurt I was, I should never have blamed you, or taken out my frustrations on you. That was wrong and I'm the one to blame for what happened to us….to you..."

"It was both of us," Draco admitted. "I didn't tell you what was going on, after I'd promised to. I held it from you, thinking that it might help solve the problem, when really it just made the problem bigger. I should have just told you."

"I'm sorry," Hermione choked, a sob breaking through her words. "I-"

Draco watched as she struggled to block her tears. He wanted to comfort her; to cross the room and wrap his arms around her like he used to, but that was something of the past.

Hermione retreated back to the sofa, Crookshanks scurrying out of her way. She held her legs tightly to her chest, managing to keep her tears at bay; watching Draco out of the corner of her eye. It hurt how much she wanted him to come to her...to comfort her. _She_ shouldn't desire comfort from someone who she hurt; but she did. Hermione desperately wanted things to go back to how they had been before her parents' death, before Bill had gotten the papers, before things had gone downhill. She wanted things to go back to how they were when they would spend evenings lounging on the couch, reading and talking throughout the night. She wanted the times back when they had spent hours in his labs, working through complex alchemy potions….she wanted all of that; but she was the one who had destroyed it all with her stupid judgements and her anger.

"I'm assuming you didn't stay here," Draco commented, breaking the silence. "Rillie seemed rather...put out."

Hermione shook her head, watching as Crookshanks plodded over to the blond wizard, weaving in between his legs. "I've been staying with Harry and Ginny. Pansy offered to let me stay with her and Blaise, but…"

"You didn't want to be somewhere that reminded you of me," Draco finished, glancing down at her ginger cat. "I get it Hermione."

"It's not necessarily that," Hermione countered, looking up to meet his gaze. "I just needed time to think...and I couldn't do that here. Everything...reminded me of what I'd done, and where you were….because of me."

"It wasn't just you," Draco said. "Look Hermione, everyone makes mistakes. I've made awful ones, and so have you now. We're both human and that's just how life is. Let's just...move on. Your cat seems to get the idea of moving."

Hermione started slightly, a small smile gracing her lips. "It seems like you're the positive one now," she whispered. "Why would you ever want to be with me after what I did to you?"

"Like I said, everyone makes mistakes. No one is perfect," he replied, hesitantly taking a seat on the couch beside her. "Everyone...does things they're not proud of, but there's something that can over-power the feelings brought on by wrongdoings."

"Even wrongdoings brought by those closest to you?" Hermione questioned, her eyes searching his.

Draco nodded. "Hermione, what brought you back to the Manor after my first encounter with Bellatrix?"

"Knowing that there was no way you could have acted like without a reason," Hermione answered after a moment.

"What was driving that?" Draco whispered. "You were brought back by something else..something behind that thought that I was innocent. What was it?"

"Love," Hermione breathed. "I went back because I loved you."

"And that's why I'm back," he said, softly touching her hand. "I loved you then and I love you now."

"How? How can you still love me?" Hermione questioned tearfully.

"Love is learning to accept someone, faults and all," Draco replied. "You accepted me and learned to love me through all the things I'd done and all the mistakes I've made and continue to make. Now, it's my turn."

"What if faults are all someone is made up of?" Hermione whispered, letting her fingers wrap around his.

"Our mistakes are what shape us into who we are...our mistakes and our choices, You can't truly know someone until you've seen who they truly are," Draco murmured. "I've seen you Hermione. The real you. I know how you act, how you think. I know that this….this isn't you."

"Maybe it is," Hermione shrugged.

"It's not," Draco said firmly. "War does things to people, to society. But it can't take away your true colors...who you really are."

Hermione turned her head away, tears stinging her eyes. She felt his thin fingers touch the side of her face and gently turn her gaze back to him; his liquid silver eyes holding her captive. He leaned forward, gently pressing his lips to her forehead for a moment, before pulling away.

"I'm sorry Draco. So sorry for everything," Hermione whispered, her voice breaking. "You've stood by me in every hardship I've been through...and I repaid you by turning my back on you when you needed me."

"I believe in you Hermione," he said softly. "You just need to believe in yourself again."

Hermione nodded, hesitantly wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her face in his chest. It took him a moment to reciprocate, but he did...and somehow that was all Hermione wanted.

...

...

...

You with the sad eyes, don't be discouraged

Oh I realize, it's hard to take courage

In a world full of people, you can lose sight of it all

And the darkness inside of you, can make you feel so small

But I see your true colors shining through

I see your true colors, and that's why I love you

So don't be afraid to let them show, your true colors

True colors are beautiful, like a rainbow.

Show me a smile then, don't be unhappy

I can't remember the last I saw you laughing

If this world makes you crazy, and you've taken all you can bear

You can call me up, and you know I'll be there

And I'll see your true colors shining through

I see your true colors, and that's why I love you

So don't be afraid to let them show

Your true colors are beautiful, like a rainbow.

...

...

...

"So you're going back to live with Malfoy again," Ginny said, watching Hermione pack her small bag.

Hermione nodded. "We're not exactly….back to where we used to be. But we're both trying, and it's getting better."

"It's going to take time 'Mione," Ginny commented. "But I'm glad you two didn't just give up on each other."

"Why? Because you already had all the wedding details planned?" Hermione teased, snapping her bag shut and sitting down lightly on the bed.

"Well yes," Ginny laughed, her eyes twinkling. "In all seriousness though, you and Malfoy are meant for each other I think."

Hermione looked at her with doubt and Ginny sighed, taking a seat beside her friend.

"Hermione, you and Malfoy balance each other out. It's like that muggle saying...opposites attract. Where you tend to be strictly by the book sometimes, he seems to be more of a rule bender...in a good way of course. As far as I know, you're usually pretty mild tempered, and the Malfoy from school was quite the fighter, and not one to keep his emotions in check," Ginny pointed out. "But you do have things in common too. You're both incredibly brilliant for one thing."

"We'll see," Hermione sighed. "Maybe we're just too opposite."

"I think you'll be fine Hermione," Ginny smiled, squeezing the older witch's hand. "This is just a bump in the road. Every relationship has at least one. Some have many. But you'll get through them."

"Thanks Gin," Hermione smiled. "And thank you for letting me stay here while I was….figuring things out."

"Don't mention it," Ginny replied, brushing it off. "You know Harry and I are always here for you. No matter what."

"You and Harry are like my family," Hermione said. "I owe you both so much."

"And we are just as indebted to you," Ginny responded. "Now, we'd better get this stuff over to Malfoy's before Harry gets home and tries to coerce you into staying."

"Oh I know," Hermione laughed, picking her small bag up as she rose from the bed. "He already tried to convince me to stay this morning."

"You know, Harry loves you Hermione, but I don't think he'll ever be fully alright with the idea of you and Malfoy," Ginny said, following Hermione from the room.

"I think I already knew that," Hermione admitted, walking slowly down the stairs. "Draco and Harry were never friends, and I don't expect them to ever be. But I think they both try to be civil around each other when I'm around."

"Both of them care for you Hermione," Ginny smiled, opening the front door. "Their hatred for each other won't change that."

"I hope so Gin," Hermione said, stepping out onto the front porch.

"Hey, are we still on for lunch?" Ginny said suddenly, causing Hermione to stop at the gate.

"Of course," Hermione replied. "What day?"

"How about Thursday?" Ginny said after a moment. "I'm off that day."

Hermione thought for a moment, then smiled at the red haired witch. "Thursday should work fine. Should I meet you at the Ministry?"

"Sure," Ginny shrugged. "It might take a bit to tear me away from work. It can get a bit...chaotic up there."

"Agreed," Hermione laughed. "I'll see you on Thursday then," she said as she continued down the path; disappearing with a small pop once she was outside the gate.

Ginny nodded, leaning against the doorway. "See you Thursday," she replied, to no one in particular.

...

...

...

"I think this was the best lunch we've had," Ginny commented, finishing off the last of her sandwich. "This food is glorious."

"It was high time we tried out this place," Hermione agreed, sipping her iced-tea. "I've had my eye on it forever."

"I've wanted to try their sandwiches since Harry brought half of his home the other day," Ginny laughed, pushing a pickle slice languidly around her plate. "Although I think the one I ordered today was way better than the one he left in the fridge."

"Harry left food uneaten?" Hermione asked. "That doesn't sound a whole lot like him."

"I agree completely. Harry and Ron are pretty big time eaters. Ron more so than Harry, but still. It's weird, lately he hasn't been eating as much. It seems likes most of the time, he's too distracted to eat," Ginny replied. "But he hasn't starved to death yet, so I'm just going to let him do his thing."

"Careful," Hermione warned, finishing her beverage. "Leaving Harry to his own will can be dangerous."

"This coming from a girl who got herself tangled up with 'The Boy Who Lived' on the first day at school," Ginny smirked.

"Oh you've been invested in this since then too," Hermione teased.

"Don't I know it," Ginny sighed with a smile. "I can't imagine how my life would have gone had Harry not been part of it."

"Everyone's lives would be far different if Harry hadn't...well been Harry," Hermione commented.

"But then we wouldn't have what we have now," Ginny said. "Our lives would be completely different, and probably not for the better."

Hermione nodded, her attention drawn to the window where crowds of people were rushing along the walk; all heading in the same direction. "Ginny, I think we'd better go."

Ginny nodded, putting a few galleons down on the table as the two witches rushed from the room; Hermione somewhat slower than her red haired companion. Hermione caught up to Ginny, who had stopped a young boy in his hurry and was currently trying to get an answer out of him.

"Aldrich, what happened?" Ginny repeated, gripping the child's shoulders. "Where is your mother?"

"I don't know," the boy answered tearfully. "The Death Eaters...they're in the center of the square. They just appeared and started destroying some of the shops. Mum told me to wait for her outside Slug and Jiggers...but she never came out. The Death Eaters….they tried to grab me so I ran. Ginny what's gonna happen to my mum?"

"Oh Merlin," Ginny breathed, glancing at Hermione before turning back to the boy. "Aldrich, I'm going to try and find your mum alright?" The child nodded, a few tears running down his small face. "Do you know where the joke shop is?" Ginny asked. Aldrich nodded again, sniffling softly. "Ok go to the joke shop. Remember Fred and George? Yeah? Perfect. They should be there, and they'll keep you safe until we find your mum alright?"

Ginny let go of the young boy's shoulders and he took off down the street towards Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. She turned back to Hermione, reaching into her pocket to withdraw her wand. "We've got to get down there."

Hermione nodded, and the pair continued down the street; fighting their way back through the throng of shoppers fleeing in the opposite direction. "Ginny, how did you know that boy?" she asked as they took a shortcut off the main path; weaving their way through the shops and the alleys.

"His mum works with me," Ginny replied. "He stops by after school most days."

"He doesn't go to Hogwarts?"

"Not yet. He's supposed to start next year. He's going to a wizard primary school," she answered, pausing for a second in the shadows of an alley. "Hermione, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," the bushy haired witch replied. "Are we close?"

"Yeah. We step out there, take a right and we've made it to where the Death Eaters supposedly are," Ginny responded, gripping her wand tighter.

"Let's get going then," Hermione said, following the younger witch out of the cramped space.

The pair walked briskly down the street, following the smoke that billowed toward the clear midday sky. "Duck," Ginny said suddenly, throwing up a shield as a bright red bolt flew in their direction. "The Death Eaters seem to be in a good mood today."

"Great," Hermione replied sarcastically. "That will make this really fun."

Ginny nodded, throwing one of her own curses into the fray, her eyes glinting as it connected with it's target. "Let's hope Harry and the MLE department got the message and are already here."

"I'd say that's a yes," Hermione replied nodding towards a pair in the middle of the square who fought back to back; one with messy raven hair, and the other with hair a shade of red-orange.

Ginny smiled, fighting her way toward the pair; Hermione following right behind her. The redhead yelped as a Death Eater grabbing her arm; but quickly regained her strength and blasted him out of her way.

"Harry!" Hermione called out, throwing a shield up in front of the bespectacled man; effectively blocking a spell from a nearby Death Eater.

Harry turned offering her a small smile of thanks before returning to his task; firing spell after spell at the masked intruders. Only a moment later, the Death Eaters all paused; dispersing in whirlwinds of black smoke, leaving only the Aurors and the few that had stayed to fight.

"Harry," Ginny breathed, rushing over to throw her arms around his shoulders. "You're okay."

"Of course," he responded, kissing her quickly. "I mean, this is kind of my job."

"I know," Ginny replied. "I just worry."

"How did you two hear about what was going on?" Ron questioned, looking at Ginny and Hermione.

"We went out to lunch," Hermione answered, tucking her wand into her boots. "We were finishing up when we saw everyone. Ginny asked a kid she knew what was going on and we ended up here."

Ron glanced at Ginny, confusion passing over his face for a moment before his unreadable expression returned. "Well not a whole lot happened. They destroyed some shops, but that was it as far as we could tell."

"Why just attack the shops?" Hermione wondered aloud.

"We think they might have been looking for something," Harry answered. "We don't know what, but they only touched certain shops. Ollivanders, Borgin and Burkes, and the Apothecary."

"The Apothecary? Aldrich," Ginny said suddenly, rushing off across the square to a large shop.

Harry, Ron and Hermione quickly followed her, slowing down as they neared the shop. The door was jammed, but the large viewing windows were shattered; Ginny already in the process of carefully crawling through the jagged remains.

"Ginny wait," Harry said, crawling through after her. "You don't know what's in here."

"I need to find Marian," Ginny replied quietly, dropping down into the shop. "Her son said she went in here before the Death Eaters came."

"Ginny there could still be Death Eaters in here," Harry said, catching up to her and resting his hand lightly on her arm.

"I know how to defend myself Harry," Ginny replied, pulling her wand from her boot as they walked across the glass covered floor.

"Just be careful," Harry said, extracting his own wand.

"Hermione and I will check the rest of the shop and see if we can find anyone else," Ron commented, steering Hermione off in the opposite direction.

"Ron," Hermione said hesitantly. "Death Eaters don't often leave survivors. I don't think we'll find anyone."

"We can hope," Ron shrugged, lightly brushing an overhanging tapestry out of the way. "Sometimes they miss people."

"Sometimes," Hermione agreed, following the tall Gryffindor deeper into the shop.

"Ron, Hermione!" Harry called from the opposite end of the store. "We're going to need your help."

The pair turned around, heading back the way they came; finding Harry and Ginny crouched over the crumpled form of a young woman.

"It's Marian," Ginny said, looking up to meet Hermione's gaze.

"Is she-"

"No. She's alive," Ginny replied. "But she's unconscious...I'm not sure what's wrong, but we need to get her to St Mungo's."

Hermione nodded, watching as the pair of boys gently lifted the injured woman off the floor. "She'll be okay Gin. They fixed me, so they should be able to help Marian."

"I guess we'd better go get Aldrich and take him to St Mungo's with us… and explain this whole thing," Ginny sighed, carefully treading across the destroyed floor.

"Everything will be fine," Hermione reassured her. "His mother is alive, and that's all that matters."

"Let's hope so," Ginny said, the pair heading off towards George and Fred's shop.

...

...

...

Hermione gasped, shooting upright in bed, her heart racing in her chest. She rubbed her eyes, noticing the open book lying beside her. She must have fallen asleep while she was reading and waiting for Draco to get home. Speaking of Draco, she glanced at the clock sitting on the bedside table. It was one o'clock in the morning. Draco should have been home by then, and she always seemed to wake when he arrived. Hermione flipped the satin covers off the bed and slid her feet into a pair of slippers. Another chime from downstairs caused her to jump, her hand shooting out to grab her wand from underneath her pillow. That must have been what had woken her in the first place; someone was trying to get into the Manor. Quietly, Hermione padded over to her bedroom door opening it as quietly as possible. Hermione walked quickly down the hall, her wand gripped tightly in her hand. Reaching Draco's door, she carefully twisted the silver handle; the tall door swinging open to allow her into the room.

"Draco?" she whispered, taking a few steps into the room. "Lumos."

The tip of her wand glowed softly, illuminating the spacious room. Hermione walked quickly over to the side of the large bed, her breath quickening as she realized the bed was empty; the covers hadn't even been pulled down. She walked back outside his room, descending the stairs as quietly as possible; the fireplace continuing to alert her that someone was trying to get through. Hermione reached the bottom of the stairs just as a crash echoed from the east sitting room. The dinging from the fireplace stopped, replaced by an eerie silence. Hermione gripped her wand, discarding her large slippers so she could move with less sound. Draco was either in the sitting room dealing with the problem, or someone very distasteful had just entered the Manor. Another crash sounded from inside the room, followed by a sharp yelp of pain. Hermione rounded the corner, her wand out and a spell on her lips. Before she could release it, the figure on the floor turned slightly; a pair of bright silver eyes flashing in the pale light coming through the window.

"Draco! Oh Godric," Hermione cried, rushing over and falling to the floor beside him; the lights coming on in the room. "What happened?"

"Bellatrix," he ground out, a fresh wave of pain coursing through him and blood pouring from the numerous wounds on his body. "She-"

"Shh," Hermione interrupted, passing her wand over his torso, attempting to seal his injuries. "I'm sorry I asked, just bear with me while I try and fix this."

Draco groaned in response, a yelp of pain escaping his throat as Hermione shifted his body slightly.

Hermione winced, placing her wand on the ground as she tore open the front of his shirt; gasping slightly at the sight of his bruised and bloodied chest. "Oh Gods," she whispered. She stood and rushed from the room, hurrying to Draco's labs, throwing open the cupboards and scanning the labels frantically. Grabbing a few of the vials along with a bottle of firewhiskey, she ran back to the room where Draco lay; his features paler than she'd ever seen them. She knelt down beside him once more, opening the cap to one of the vials.

"Drink this," she commanded firmly, holding the vial to his bloodied lips. "It'll help seal your wounds."

Draco complied, grimacing as the position made its way down his throat. Hermione could instantly see the impact; the injuries along his arm, face and chest slowly closing, only the larger ones remaining. "I don't know what I'm doing," she panicked, knocking over one of the potion vials.

Draco coughed roughly, a small trickle of blood running down the corner of his mouth. He clutched his chest, his eyes flashing silver.

"This is going to hurt," Hermione said, pulling the top off the firewhiskey bottle. "Do you trust me?"

Draco nodded, his breathing turning labored and sporadic. "I trust you."

Hermione smiled tearfully, grasping his hand tightly in hers. Taking a deep breath she poured the deep amber liquid over the large gashes on his body, flinching as he hissed in pain; his grip on her hand turning her fingers white. She watched the last remnants of the bottle slowly drip onto the angry red wounds; Draco's breath rattling in his chest.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, grabbing a roll of bandages from the ground beside her. "This is going to hurt too."

Draco could barely nod; his eyes shut tightly as she ripped the rest of his shirt free so she could wrap the bandages over his arms and torso. Hermione passed her wand slowly over his body, sealing the last of his minor wounds and fastening the bandages.

"Wingardium Leviosa," she whispered, trying to ignore his grunts of pain as he rose into the air; floating behind her as she climbed the stairs up to his room.

"Finite Incantatem," Hermione said, flicking her wand over Draco's bed, wincing as he fell onto the sheets...much heavier than she had intended him to. "Sorry," she said softly, walking over to him, pulling another small vial from her pocket. "I didn't mean for that to hurt."

"It's fine," he grunted, clearly still in pain. "What's that?"

"A blood replenishing potion," Hermione answered. "It'll knock you out for a few hours while it does it's thing, and then you should feel better."

"Okay," Draco groaned, wincing as though speaking physically hurt him.

Hermione nodded, handing him the vial which he drank; choking as the liquid burned its way down his throat.

"What the bloody hell was that?" he gasped, his eyes already starting to glass over.

"I never said it was a good tasting potion," Hermione said replied hesitantly, watching as his shoulders slumped and his breathing slowed. "I love you," she smiled, resting her hand lightly on top of his as the potion took complete control of his system; his eyes drifting shut as he fell asleep.

...

...

...

Hermione sat in the corner, a book lying open on her lap. She'd been reading since she woke, but she'd stopped some time ago and her eyes had drifted to her sleeping fiancé. Merlin she'd been stupid lately. Letting herself believe that the love of her life could somehow be responsible for the deaths of her parents, and then blaming him for it, even though the reasonable side of her was screaming that it was wrong. She didn't realize how truly sorry she was until last night when she'd almost watched him die right in front of her. Hermione hadn't known how awful her life would be without him until she hadn't been with him...until he'd lain on the floor in front of her; the life slowly bleeding out of him onto the wooden floor of the Manor. A tear trailed down her cheek, landing on the open page of the book; smearing whatever had been written there.

"Are you enjoying watching me sleep?"

Hermione smiled, a soft laugh escaping through her lips. "I can't help it. You are rather attractive. Even when you sleep."

"Everything I do is attractive," he replied, his voice still husky from sleep and the after effects of the potion. "Are you...are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Hermione reassured him, walking to sit lightly on the edge of the bed beside him.

"You were crying," he said softly, brushing his thumb over the wet trail on her cheek.

"I was just thinking," Hermione responded, looking into his brilliant silver eyes. "Now, are you going to tell me why in Merlin's name you came home almost dead last night?"

Draco sighed, grimacing as he lifted himself up to lean against the headrest of his bed. "Do you really want to hear that now? It doesn't seem quite like the most happy story to hear first thing in the morning."

"Draco, I know that last night couldn't have been the best for you considering the fact that you practically died right on your own floor. But...I want to know," Hermione replied.

"Alright," Draco agreed reluctantly. "She used the Death Eaters in Diagon Alley as a...distraction. She wanted to come and talk to me unnoticed."

"How many times is she going to 'talk' to you and almost kill you?" Hermione sighed, running her fingers through her hair. "This seems to be quite a frequent thing."

"I told you Hermione. Bellatrix is not going to stop trying to recruit me. I don't know why she doesn't just kill me and get things over with, but apparently she needs me for something. I don't know what it is, but she wants it or rather needs it, desperately."

"That doesn't explain why she tried to kill you again," Hermione pointed out. "If she wants something from you, she could just take it."

"You know Bellatrix doesn't work like that," Draco laughed humorlessly. "Besides, from what I've gathered from her visits, I'm not in possession of this item yet, and I think it has something to do with you too."

"What makes you say that?" Hermione questioned, doubt flickering across her eyes.

"She kept asking about you. Every single question had something to do with you or us. She wanted to know where you were, what you were doing, if the death of your parents had totally taken you away from me...If I'd changed my mind about being with you," Draco answered, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"And what did you tell her?"

"I didn't say anything," Draco said. "I'd rather not bring you into my dealings with Bellatrix any more than necessary."

"What in Merlin's name could she possibly want that we have?" Hermione voiced. "Besides a happy ending."

"I don't know," Draco replied, gently clasping her hand. "But whatever it is, she's not going to get it."

"Look at you being Mr Optimistic," Hermione teased softly.

"It happens when you spend too much time around Gryffindors," Draco replied, pulling her a little closer. "You develop an unhealthy sense of optimism."

"How many times have you used that line?" Hermione laughed, her hand splayed out on the side of his face.

"Only twice. Counting this one," Draco smiled, kissing her softly.

"And was it convincing enough?" Hermione breathed, losing her balance slightly and falling lightly against his chest.

"Oddly enough, yes," he replied, releasing a small grunt as she fell against him. "Careful love. One night of sleep doesn't quite heal a bloke completely."

"Oh! Sorry about that," Hermione said, backing away slightly. "I don't always have the best balance."

"You're forgiven," Draco smirked, pulling her back in. "Besides, I didn't say I didn't like it. I just said be careful."

"How careful can I be around you?" Hermione joked. "We're always seeming to get in trouble."

"I think it's kind of your thing," Draco pointed out. "You're part of the Gryffindor Golden Trio. You're carelessness and tendency to stare danger in the face seems to have worn off onto me."

"Is that a bad thing?" Hermione smiled. "You seem to enjoy sticking around."

"I think you're stuck with me forever," he agreed, kissing her again.

"That's the best thing you've said this morning," Hermione laughed, flopping onto the covers beside him.

"Beside what I'm going to say next?" Draco asked, feigning shock.

"Well I wouldn't know because you haven't said it yet," Hermione pointed out teasingly.

"I love you," Draco said brushing a strand of hair out of her face.

"I amend my previous statement then," Hermione smiled; locking her fingers with his. "I love you too."

...

...

...

 _A savior shall rise from the ashes of a fallen nation_

 _Cloaked with the legacy of those before_

 _This savior will ride the rays of the setting sun_

 _Fire proclaiming them the final victor_

 _Born of a lion and a snake before three years are done_

 _Tied by blood...the blood of those despised_

 _The savior shall be bring to pass the deepest desires_

 _Or perhaps the deepest fears not yet realized_

 _The child of a lion and a snake_

 _Born this world to shake and break_

 _Like master before your fall will come_

 _Not from a source expected_

 _The savior shall come through your sister's son_

 _Through this child your destinies shall be forever connected_

 _The prodigy of the slippery snake and the courageous lion_

 _Will bring a victory on the horizon_

 _Like a chimera, their loyalty wavers_

 _Bringing the triumph to whomever it favors_

 _Victory could be yours eternally through this relation_

 _Or it will be the cause of your annihilation._

The shining blue orb dimmed, and the raspy voice faded. Bellatrix waved her wand and the large sphere disappeared into thin air. She clenched her fist tightly around her wand; her eyes flashing in the light of the setting sun.

"Bella please stop obsessing over this," a voice sounded from behind her.

Bellatrix's features twisted into a sneer as she rounded on her husband. "You think this is a joke? This prophecy was given to me as soon as I returned to this world. I can't escape it. I've destroyed the orb, tried to rewrite the prophecy; nothing works."

"Bella, you can't let this prophecy ruin you life. The Dark Lord ran his life based off the Potter boy's prophecy, and look where it got him," Rodolphus pointed out softly.

"I am nothing like the Dark Lord," Bellatrix hissed. "This prophecy is predicting my future and I intend to stop it."

"But a chimera? Bella, this prophecy doesn't make any sense."

"It's not a true chimera," Bellatrix snapped, pacing the floor of the study. "It's the hypothetical child of a snake and a lion, just as the prophecy states. This child will either help me on my way to victory, or they will be my downfall."

"So why attempt to destroy the child?" Rodolphus questioned. "If they can help you rise, why kill them?"

"I don't want to take any chances," Bellatrix replied darkly. "If this child could possibly be my undoing, I don't want them alive."

"And how are you going to find this child? It's not like we know many people who are part lion and snake."

"Again, it's not supposed to be taken literally," Bellatrix growled, waving her hand.

The pair disappeared in a whirlwind of black smoke, reappearing on the tip of a tall hill, behind a large tree. Bellatrix stepped out from behind the old, gnarled branches and took a seat on the smooth grass; Rodolphus following suit.

"See down there Rodolphus? That's a wedding party. Our nephew's wedding," Bellatrix spoke, her dark eyes glinting with the reflection of the white lights from the celebration.

"Draco?" he said, his brow furrowing at her confirmation. "He's married?"

"Yes. To Hermione Granger," Bellatrix answered; anger rolling off of her words.

"The mudblood. That seems like an unlikely pair," Rodolphus commented, twirling a piece of grass in his fingers.

"Exactly," Bellatrix smiled darkly, watching as fireworks from the party started to light the night sky. "A pureblood and a mudblood, Slytherin and Gryffindor."

Realization dawned on Rodolphus' face as a brilliant flash of light burst into the sky. "A lion and a snake."

Bellatrix nodded, and the pair disappeared; The shapes of a red lion and green snake slowly fading out of the night sky.

 _ **A/N: IT'S DONE. HOW THE WORLD CHANGES HAS COME TO AN END LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. Wow this has been a roller coaster of a fanfic. It's my very first one, and I really really enjoyed writing it. Now, before I get a bunch of reviews asking why there isn't an epilogue or something like that...let me ease your mind. There's going to be a sequel. I'm already in the process of writing it. It's going to be called HOW THE WORLD ENDS and it's going to revolve around the prophecy and the journey of Draco and Hermione's children along with everyone else. So keep your eyes open for the start of that fanfic, I'm hoping to have the prologue/first chapter up before the end of the month.**_

 _ **Alright, I just really want to thank all of you who have been there with me through this story. You've been absolutely fantastic. I've loved reading all of your reviews, comments and concerns about the story. Thank you to those of you who left reviews that lit up my day, and thank you to those of you who left reviews with helpful hints/concerns about the story. You all are helping me become a better writer; even if the only thing I ever write is fanfiction. Man you guys are amazing. Seriously. Having people read my fanfiction was one of the biggest dreams I've had. I've wanted to write a fanfic since I finished the Harry Potter series, and you all have helped that dream come true. So thank you. :) And even though she's not on , I want to thank a very special friend of mine who was always willing to pre-read my stories and give my insight. You are my biggest cheerleader.**_ _ **If you would like to, please continue to read and review this one until I get the sequel up, and share this story with your friends.**_

 _ **Once again, thank you all so much for going through this story with me and I hope to see you in HOW THE WORLD ENDS. I love you all.**_

 ** _-TheFreckledKangaroo_**


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